In this lesson we take a look at one of our staples of treatment in the ICU, mechanical ventilation. This invasive mechanical ventilation is a form of respiratory support that we can provide to our patients when other forms of support have failed, or when we need to fully take over control of their breathing.

I start talking about some of our indications for why would need to use mechanical ventilation for our patients. While not an exhaustive list, this should provide a comprehensive list of things that could lead our patients to this. Next we talk about some basic principals of ventilation, including a quick run down on the circuit and how the flow of air goes.

Next we talk about the various complications that can come from our patients being intubated and on a “vent.” Again, not exhaustive, but I cover the top 4 major complications, why we see them, as well as what we can do to either prevent or respond to them.

Finally we round things out and talk about our goals of care for our patients on mechanical ventilation and ultimately what we are hoping to accomplish as well as some tidbits for the process. At the end of the day, remember that our patients are human beings just like ourselves!

Hopefully this lesson with have invasive mechanical ventilation explained in a way that gives you a good foundation of understanding as we move in to the next couple lessons talking about different vent modes and settings.

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