Evaluation of electrochemical nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide analyzers suitable for use during mechanical ventilation.

Objective: Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) is increasingly being used in the treatment of diseases characterized by hypoxemia and pulmonary hypertension. To avoid complications, accurate quantitative analysis of NO and NO2 is necessary during this therapy. We evaluated the accuracy of electrochemical NO and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) analyzers suitable for use during mechanical ventilation.

Methods: We evaluated six electrochemical NO analyzer brands (Bedfont, B & W, Dräger, EIT, Pulmonox, Saan). All were calibrated and used per manufacturer's specifications. An adult mechanical ventilator was used to produce serial dilutions of NO with O2 for [NO] of 0-80 ppm. F1O2 settings of 0.90, 0.70, 0.50, 0.30, and 0.21 were used. Settings of low, moderate, and high ventilation pressures were evaluated. Gas was sampled from the inspiratory limb of the ventilator circuit using either a sidestream or mainstream technique. [NO] was also measured using a calibrated chemiluminescence analyzer. For the analyzers that measured NO2, serial dilutions of 8.5 ppm NO2 with O2 were analyzed using chemiluminescence and the electrochemical analyzers.

Results: Bias +/- precision for [NO] by individual devices ranged from 1.8 +/- 1.9 ppm to -1.0 +/- 0.7 ppm. There were significant differences in the bias between analyzers (P < 0.001), pressure settings (P < 0.001), and NO level (P < 0.017). The difference in bias between levels of F1O2 was not significant (P = 0.062). Bias +/- precision for NO2 ranged from 0.18 +/- 0.12 ppm to -0.14 +/- 0.13 ppm, with a significant difference between analyzers (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The bias and precision of these analyzers was acceptable for clinical use. The devices tended to be most accurate at [NO] < or = 20 ppm-the clinical conditions at which NO is most commonly used.