Failed ventilation due to heat and moisture exchanger filters malfunction

Malfunction of heat and moisture exchanger filters: Causality or unresolved problem?

“…[1] The authors highlight the seriousness of HMEF malfunction leading to airway obstruction that could result in catastrophic patient outcome, especially during anesthesia for operative procedures. It is also concerning that such device malfunctions may seldom trigger an alarm, which is intended to alert the anesthesiologist.…”

“…[1] If these malfunctions are considered to be rare and unusual, still are under-recognized and unnoticed, leading to serious harm to the patient. The use of HMEF and its associated malfunction is still a matter of debate among anesthesiologists.…”

“…[1] This raises the need for incorporating alternative detection alarms and even international policy. At present, only heated humidifiers have alarms for their malfunction and the detection alarms are still lacking for other MME devices.…”