Medical ventilators help people breathe during surgeries or when they have conditions that affect breathing. The machine pushes air and oxygen into the lungs and can provide full support or assistance. The length of time on a ventilator depends on the condition, and some people may need it for life. Complications can occur, including damage to the vocal cords and lung injury.
A medical ventilator is a machine that helps a person breathe. Medical ventilators, also called mechanical ventilators, are used during surgeries that require patient sleep. Medical ventilators are also used when a person has a condition that prevents effective breathing. Various conditions can cause breathing difficulties, including respiratory diseases, head injuries, heart conditions, and medication overdoses.
The air and supplemental oxygen are pushed into the lungs through a ventilator. The ventilator helps patients improve the oxygen levels in their lungs. It can also help remove carbon dioxide from the lungs and reduce the effort someone has to work to breathe.
Mechanical ventilation can be used to provide full support, which means that the ventilator affects the patient’s breathing. It can also be used to help with breathing. This means the patient is still breathing on their own, but the ventilator is providing assistance.
Before a person is placed on a medical ventilator, a breathing tube will be inserted into their airways, usually through their mouth. In some cases, a tracheotomy is performed instead. An incision is made in the trachea and a tracheotomy tube is placed. This is usually done if long-term ventilatory support is needed.
The ventilators can be set to different modes, which provide varying levels of support. You can set a respiration rate and an oxygen percentage. Mechanical ventilation is most often used in hospitals and can be complex.
The length of time a person stays on a medical ventilator depends on their condition. Patients who are only on a ventilator for surgery are usually extubated, which means the breathing tube and ventilator are removed. People with medical conditions that cause breathing problems may need to stay on a medical ventilator until the condition is treated and breathing improves.
Some individuals may need a mechanical ventilator for the rest of their lives. Conditions such as some spinal cord injuries and severe brain damage may require continuous mechanical ventilation. There are fans available for home use.
While a mechanical ventilator may be needed to save someone’s life, there can be complications. Some complications are caused by the tube in the airway and include damage to the vocal cords and a sinus infection. The ventilator delivers a volume of air and oxygen into the lungs, which can also cause complications, such as oxygen toxicity, lung injury, and a drop in blood pressure.
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