[New potentials for monitoring the temperature and the relative and absolute humidity of the air-oxygen mixture during the prolonged artificial ventilation of newborn infants].

A new HTM-902 monitor (UCCP, Germany/Serviceinstrument, Russia) was used for continuous measurements of the temperature and relative and absolute humidity of inspired gas during prolonged mechanical ventilation in 86 neonates with respiratory failure caused by the respiratory distress syndrome (n = 42), meconium aspiration syndrome (n = 28), and congenital pneumonia (n = 16). All measurements were performed with a special probe connected to the inspiratory contour through a standard adapter close to the patient's T-piece. The monitor helped maintain the optimal values of the inspired gas conditioning during assisted ventilation of the neonates. The optimal relationships between gas temperature and humidity can be attained only with humidifiers with a servocontrol of temperature and heated wire inside the inspiratory circle tube. For maintaining adequate humidity of inspired gas after any changes in the ventilator flow rate or in the temperature inside the incubator, the heating power of the humidifier had to be corrected. However, even with servocontrolled humidifiers and humidity regulation, an increase of temperature inside the incubator over 35 degrees C made impossible the maintenance of the inspired gas humidity at the level of 96-100% with its temperature at the level of the patient's T-piece no higher than 37 degrees C.