Department of Medicine

 Virtual Ventilation

Instructions:

Loading, enabling, and naming the simulator

Save the file named “ReformattedVentSimMaster” to your desktop.Rename it a combination of nine letters or numbers.

Double click on the new simulator file on your desktop.
When prompted “This file contains macros- enable this content?” select “Yes.” Depending on the security setting on your computer, you might have to re-set the security level to “medium.” This can be done by accessing the “tools” dropdown menu, selecting “macros,” choosing
the “security” option, and checking the box “medium.”
You will see a spreadsheet resembling Panel “A”

Running the simulator: starting a simulation

Click on the yellow box entitled “Push if returning to program
following a break…” Nothing will appear to happen; this is expected.
Click on the blue box entitled “Push to generate new patient
simulation if targeted outcomes are satisfied.” Targeted outcomes
appear to the right of the ventilator waveforms.

To request ancillary data, click on the black box containing the datum you seek.
Change the mode- if desired- by clicking “push to change ventilator
mode” and then entering the requested inputs.
To run the simulation with your settings, enter them, hit “Return” on
the keyboard, and then click on
“Push to run ventilation simulation with new inputs.”

Running the simulator: finishing a simulation

If you are satisfied with the outcomes and simulation settings, click
the blue box to generate a new patient.
If you do not believe the patient can be ventilated with conventional
mechanical modes, push the red box to terminate this trial and
generate a new patient.
If –during any simulation- you believe the targeted outcomes are
entirely satisfactory without any changes (e.g., initial settings
provided by the software are acceptable), click “run ventilation
simulation with new inputs”

If you are taking a break, finish the current simulation, click the
blue box to generate a new patient, and save the file. Answer “yes” to
“do you wish to save changes to….” when prompted. You will see a
pop-up stating “this file contains macros, activeX controls, web
files, …that may contain personal information.” Click “Yes” to
continue to save. The message appears because of the presence of the
macros that run the program; the settings are such that it will not
save your name.
If you have taken a break, remember to click the yellow box on your return.

When you have completed all 100 simulations

Save the file with changes (see also 4 in “Running the
simulator-finishing a simulation”);
Open your browser to this site to Submit File and Questionnaire

Troubleshooting

The software is constructed to alert you if settings are physically
impossible. If you receive an alert such as this, simply resume that
simulation with new settings (most common cause of this is entering
either nothing or a negative value for ventilator settings).

If you have a more serious error, you will see a Visual Basic script
(looks like text file) with a yellow highlight in it. Select the “Run”
pulldown from the toolbar, select and press the “reset” option, and
return to the spreadsheet. Note which patient number did not work,
press red box (“Push to generate new patient simulation if unable
to….”) and resume simulations.

For problems with simulator, please call/email Jonathan Paladino.