• Peter Kremeier, Stephan H Böhm, Christian Woll, Daniel A Reuter, and Sven Pulletz.
• Simulationszentrum für klinische Beatmung, Karlsruhe, Deutschland.
• Anaesthesist. 2022 Jan 5.

BackgroundThe current naming of ventilation modes in anesthesiology and critical care is characterized by manufacturer-specific inconsistent acronyms. This is confusing for users and potentially life-threatening for patients. The standard, published in August 2021 in its German version as DIN EN ISO 19223:2021, aims to introduce a uniform classification with corresponding nomenclature.Aim Of The WorkTo present the new standard and its consequences for the user.Material And MethodReview and summary of DIN EN ISO 19223:2021 with a critical appraisal of its strengths and weaknesses.ResultsA simplified scheme shows the group classification of ventilation modes based on similar characteristics. These are further specified by additional variables. A reference table contrasts the new nomenclature of ventilation modes with those currently in use. Accordingly, the new classification scheme appears inconsistent and the variables are difficult to distinguish.ConclusionStandardized terminology and semantics in respiratory care are necessary and desirable for error reduction. However, the recently presented standard fulfils these expectations only to some extent and in its current form will probably lead to further ambiguities and problems in the clinical routine. Accordingly, it is imperative that this first version of DIN EN ISO 19223:2021 be understood as the starting point for a discussion of its content, even outside the standards committees, so that its obvious weaknesses can be eradicated and the nomenclature made suitable for everyday use.© 2022. The Author(s).

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