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| ATC stands for Automatic Tube Compensation. The resistance of the tube causes increased work of breathing for the intubated, ventilated patient. ATC compensates this additional resistance of the tube and enables the patient to have a normal breathing pattern as if already extubated. |
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| Pressure Support as the common method to overcome resistance of the tube provides a constant support level. The pressure drop across the tube is dependent on the actual gas flow and therefore varies. As a result, constant pressure support leads to undercompensation during the inspiration start phase (high gas flow) and overcompensation during the last part of the inspiration (low gas flow). Pressure Support cannot compensate the increased resistance of the tube. In contrast ATC compensates continuously during inspiration and expiration according to the actual gas flow.
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| With ATC, the patient does not feel the resistance of the tube. The patient can breathe easily as if there was no tube at all. In addition to outstanding breathing comfort, ATC improves synchronisation between patient and ventilator.
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| For the first time, ATC gives the physician the possibility to predict a patient's breathing pattern after extubation. Hence ATC is sometimes referred to as the electronic extubation.
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| ATC is an additional function which can be applied in all ventilation modes. The only variable which needs to be preset is the tube size. ATC is another important step forward in the concept of Room to Breathe even for the intubated most critical patient.
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