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

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

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

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

• Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)
• Barotrauma
• Pulmonary edema
• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
• Pneumothorax

See also

• Intensive care medicine
• Pulmonology
• Respiratory therapy

Mechanical Ventilation Resources
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