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Mechanical-ventilation
Course: Advanced Medical-Surgical Nursing (NUR2212)
251 Documents
Students shared 251 documents in this course
University: Miami Dade College
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American Thoracic Society
PATIENT EDUCATION | INFORMATION SERIES
www.thoracic.org
CLIP AND COPY
Why are ventilators used?
■■ To get oxygen into the lungs and body
■■ To help the body get rid of carbon dioxide through the lungs
■■ To ease the work of breathing—Some people can breath on
their own, but it is very hard. They feel short of breath and
uncomfortable.
■■ To breathe for a person who is not breathing because of injury
to the nervous system, like the brain or spinal cord, or who has
very weak muscles.
How does a ventilator work?
The ventilator is connected to the person through a tube
(endotracheal or ET tube) that is placed into the mouth or nose
and down into the windpipe. When the health care provider
places the ET tube into the person’s windpipe, it is called an
intubation. Some people go through surgery to have a hole
place in their neck and a tube (tracheostomy or “trach” tube) is
connected through that hole. The trach tube is able to stay in
as long as needed. At times a person can talk with a trach tube
in place by using a special adapter called a speaking valve. (For
more information on having a tracheostomy see ATS patient
information series at www.thoracic.org/patients).
The ventilator blows gas (air plus oxygen as needed) into a
person’s lungs. It can help a person by doing all of the breathing
or just assisting the person’s breathing. The ventilator can
deliver higher levels of oxygen than delivered by a mask or
other devices. The ventilator can also provide what is called
positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP). This helps to hold the
lungs open so that the air sacs do not collapse. The tube in the
windpipe also makes it easier to remove mucus if someone has
a weak cough.
How are patients on ventilators monitored?
Anyone on a ventilator in an ICU setting will be hooked up to
a monitor that measures heart rate, respiratory rate, blood
pressure, and oxygen saturation (“02 sats”). Other tests that
may be done include chest-x-rays and blood drawn to measure
oxygen and carbon dioxide (“blood gases”). Members of
the health care team (including doctors, nurses, respiratory
therapists) will use this information to assess the patient’s status
and make adjustments to the ventilator if necessary.
How long is a ventilator used?
A ventilator can be life saving, but its use also has risks. It also
doesn’t fix the problem that led to the person needing the
ventilator in the first place; it just helps support a person until
other treatments become effective, or the person gets better
on their own. The health care team always tries to help a person
get off the ventilator at the earliest possible time. “Weaning”
refers to the process of getting the patient off the ventilator.
Some patients may be on a ventilator for only a few hours or
days, while others may require the ventilator for longer. How
long you may need to be on a ventilator depends on many
factors. These can include your overall strength, how well your
lungs were before going on the ventilator, and how many other
organs are affected (like your brain, heart and kidneys). Some
people never improve enough to be taken off the ventilator
completely or at all.
How does a patient feel while on a ventilator?
The ventilator itself does not cause pain. Some people don’t
like the feeling of having the tube in their mouth or nose.
They cannot talk because the tube passes between the vocal
cords into the windpipe. They also cannot eat by mouth when
this tube is in place. A person may feel uncomfortable as air is
pushed into their lungs. Sometimes a person will try to breathe
out when the ventilator is trying to push air in. This is working
(or fighting) against the ventilator and makes it harder for the
ventilator to help.
People on ventilators may be given medicines (sedatives
or pain controllers) to make them feel more comfortable.
These medicines may also make them sleepy. Sometimes,
medications that temporarily prevent muscle movement
(neuromuscular blocking agents) are used to allow a person
to breathe with the ventilator. These agents are typically used
when a person has very severe lung injury; they are stopped
as soon as possible and always before ventilator support is
removed.
Mechanical Ventilation
Am J Respir Crit Care Med Vol. 196, P3-4, 2017
ATS Patient Education Series © 2017 American Thoracic Society
Mechanical ventilation is a life support treatment. A mechanical
ventilator is a machine that helps people breathe when they are
not able to breathe enough on their own. The mechanical ventilator
is also called a ventilator, respirator, or breathing machine. Most
patients who need support from a ventilator because of a severe
illness are cared for in a hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU). People
who need a ventilator for a longer time may be in a regular unit of a
hospital, a rehabilitation facility, or cared for at home.