The first attempts to create a uniform classification of ventilation modes have failed to address the existing uncertainties in the clinical area. Especially in cases of transferred intensive care patients who require ventilation or when it comes to using different inten sive-care or outpatient ventilation devices, many users cannot clearly allocate the selected ventilation pattern. Incorrect settings are therefore bound to occur and likely.
DIN Standards Committee for Rescue Services and Hospital (NARK) has also addressed this question and has come up a first draft of a standard for uniform terminology to be used for ventilation device. However, the mandatory introduction of ISO 19223 is not yet foreseeable, and its suitability is still being debated.
We hope that the Kronberg List will go some way towards guiding you through the laby rinth of ventilation modes, and that it proves useful as a quick reference guide in bed side decision-making. Comparison tables that acknowledge differences between different manufacturers' devices, and which provide detailed descriptions of all relevant character istics, will make it easy for the user to compare the relevant ventilation methods. Due to the increasing relevance of outpatient ventilation devices, so-called homecare ventilation devices were included as well. Schematic explanations of different nomenclatures were included to facilitate studying the international professional literature. The new edition has been completely revised and expanded.