How to Adjust Tidal Volume of the Mallard Pediatric Ventilator

In this video, you will learn how to adjust the tidal volume on the PBA ventilator for various size animals. The first step is to loosen the silver knob or nut on the top of the ventilator, which allows you to adjust the tidal volume. The canister has a capacity of 2.2 liters, and you can set the tidal volume from 0.1 to 2.2 liters by adjusting and setting this knob.

The flow control allows you to raise the bellows, which contains the oxygen. It's important to note that you should not use the O2 flush button as it raises the bellows too quickly. Instead, you should use the flow control to raise these smaller bellows more slowly. When the bellows reach the top, it will automatically prevent any excess air from entering.

It's important to make sure that the bellows are not leaking. You can check for leaks by turning the flow control down to zero and observing if the bellows are dropping slowly or not at all. You can then fill the bellows back up to the top by turning the flow control back up.

The control box has a setting for air flow rate, which can be adjusted to a low ranger range when using the small animal side. The respiratory rate, which is the number of times the bellows will be pushed down in a minute, can also be adjusted. When the ventilator is running, you may notice some movement in the large bellows, which is normal and can be ignored.

In case of a power outage, the ventilator can still be used to ventilate the animal using the green manual button. An audio warning and a flashing light will be activated if there is low gas pressure or a power outage. When the power is lost, you can then continue to ventilate the animal by turning the ventilator to standby and then push the manual button as long or as often as is needed to replicate the same cycling used prior to the power outage. This is an important built-in safeguard for your patient.