Paramedics Andrew Grandin and Beth Blizzard with Team Meret are first-place winners of the 2022 National Conference on EMS’s Advanced Life Support National SIM Competition.  As EMS educators and Team Meret competitors, they are dedicated to sharing how to bring the best medicine to the patient’s bedside.

Grandin and Blizzard used the Inovytec Ventway Sparrow EMS & Transport portable turbine ventilator during the competition. They shared their thoughts on how the size and functionality of the Sparrow can help them bring lung protective therapy, through ventilation, right to the patient during pre-hospital calls.

Grandin explained he was happy to ditch the 22-pound traditional ventilator bag because the 2.2-pound Ventway Sparrow fit right into his working bag. He fit all the components he needed to ventilate a patient, including the tubing, without having to take anything out of his bag.

Blizzard reflected on how the size of the Sparrow made it much easier to take the ventilator to the patient. She shared that in her experience, the heavier oxygen-powered ventilators on the truck are typically stored in a separate bag in the passenger compartment and are very rarely used. “I’ve heard from multiple EMTs on cardiac arrest that I was the first medic they’ve ever seen use it, which I think is unfortunate,” she said.

“There is no other piston or turbine-driven ventilator that you can take in its form and put it right into your working bag that you have right now, today,” said Grandin. “This is a fantastic ventilator to get to the bedside of the patient. You are bringing lung protective therapy, through ventilation, to your patients, right there at the bedside. It can’t be beat for both safety as well as ventilator options with your SIMV volumes and SIMV pressure.”

Blizzard explained several aspects of the Sparrow that make it easier than other vents. “Control-wise, it has a single dial that controls most of the settings – and you can see all the settings on the one screen without having to click through menus,” she said. “It is also easy to set for the patient because it (Sparrow) has presets based on patient weight going all the way down to 5 kilos.”

Both Blizzard and Grandin commented on the benefits of the Sparrow not being oxygen-dependent. “If you have to switch a regulator or your oxygen dies, they (oxygen-driven ventilators) stop ventilating immediately and they don’t start again,” said Blizzard.

Grandin added, “Anyway I can get this level of care to my patient’s bedside as quickly as possible without risking injury is a win by me.”

Watch the video to hear the complete interview.

Inovytec Ventway Sparrow EMS & Transport Portable Turbine Ventilator

The Ventway Sparrow EMS & Transport ventilator is a compact, lightweight turbine ventilator that can be utilized in the field, during transport and all the way to the ICU with in-hospital performance.

Weighing only 1 kg, the ventilator is approximately 6.5″ x 6.5″ x 2″. It is a small, high-performing ventilator that can provide invasive and non-invasive ventilation for adults and pediatrics. Ventilation modes include SIMV-VC-PS, SIMV-PC and CPAP. FDA approval is pending for the HFNC and CPR modes.

The Ventway Sparrow is easy to use and intuitive. It is maintenance-free, requiring only a periodic filter replacement.

For more information, click here.

For a demo, evaluation or more information about the Inovytec Ventway Sparrow portable EMS ventilator, contact your local MED Alliance Group sales representative, call 888-891-1200 or email us.

MED Alliance Group is a medical device distributor that has been meeting the needs of our clinical customers and manufacturing partners since 1998. We specialize in the sales, marketing, importation, logistics and distribution of innovative, high-quality and cost-effective products found in anesthesia and respiratory, blood and transfusion therapy, EMS and emergency room, interventional radiology and cath lab, iv and vascular, as well as NICU and PICU.

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