Mechanical Ventilation

Mechanical Ventilation is a method to assist or replace spontaneous breathing. This can be a life-saving intervention, but can also cause complications and side effects. Mechanical ventilation is often used in intensive care medicine, home care, and emergency medicine.

Indications[edit | edit source]

Mechanical ventilation is indicated when the patient's spontaneous breathing is inadequate to maintain life. It can also be used to sedate the patient for a short period of time, such as during the operation of a ventilator, or during recovery from a critical illness. The main indications for mechanical ventilation are:

Acute lung injury including Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Neuromuscular disease or weakness
Drug overdose
Anesthesia for surgery
Sleep apnea

Modes[edit | edit source]

Mechanical ventilation utilizes several modes of ventilation, which are methods of providing breaths that are categorized into two basic types: positive pressure and negative pressure ventilators.

Positive pressure ventilators work by increasing the patient's airway pressure through an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube.
Negative pressure ventilators create a negative pressure environment around the chest, causing air to flow into the lungs.

Complications[edit | edit source]

Complications of mechanical ventilation are mainly related to the method of ventilation and the duration of ventilation. Complications include:

See also[edit | edit source]

Mechanical Ventilation Resources
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