Ventilator

Ventilator

A ventilator is a machine that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently. While modern ventilators are computerized machines, patients can be ventilated with a simple, hand-operated bag valve mask.

History

The negative pressure ventilators such as the iron lung were widely used for polio patients before the widespread use of positive pressure ventilators. The positive pressure ventilators were first used in the 20th century with increasing frequency as the polio epidemics decreased.

Types

There are two main types: positive pressure ventilators and negative pressure ventilators.

Positive pressure ventilators

These ventilators work by increasing the patient's airway pressure through an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube. The positive pressure allows air to flow into the airway until the ventilator breath is terminated. Then, the airway pressure drops to zero, and the elastic recoil of the chest wall and lungs push the tidal volume — the breath out through passive exhalation.

Negative pressure ventilators

These ventilators create a negative pressure in the patient's airway, causing air to flow into the lungs.

Uses

Ventilators are chiefly used in intensive care medicine, home care, and emergency medicine (as standalone units) and in anesthesia (as a component of an anesthesia machine).

Risks

The main risks of mechanical ventilation include lung damage, fluid buildup, and infection.

See also

• Intensive care medicine
• Anesthesia
• Tracheostomy

References

Ventilator Resources
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