What is the working principle of the ventilator?
A ventilator is a mechanically ventilated machine that moves air into and out of the lungs. A ventilator can function by introducing oxygen into the lungs and absorbing carbon dioxide from the lungs. It eliminates the extra energy of breathing difficulties and allows patients with difficulty breathing to receive the right amount of oxygen. It can also be inserted into the snorkel through the patient’s mouth, nose, trachea, or through a surgical opening, depending on the patient’s condition. Sometimes a breathing mask replaces the breathing tube, which is called non-invasive mechanical ventilation.
The ventilator can control the amount of oxygen the patient receives by connecting a patient monitor. If the patient’s condition is particularly severe, the patient monitor will alert the caregiver indicating an increase in air pressure.
People who need a ventilator:
- If there is a chance of recovery, after the patient has stopped breathing or is not breathing well;
- Patients with severe asthma or chronic bronchitis;
- Unconscious, patients with mechanical obstruction of the trachea during surgery;
- Patients with weak chest muscles or transverse diaphragm due to neurasthenia (GB syndrome or polio) or muscle weakness (muscle atrophy);
- Patients with pulmonary edema or pneumonia who are unable to maintain adequate levels of oxygenation.
Three questions about the ventilator:
- Can use a ventilator in general ward?
The ventilator can only be under the supervision of an intensive care unit. Because it requires highly skilled care, continuous monitoring is performed through a sophisticated monitor.
- Can the ventilator keep the patient alive?
The ventilator is only mechanical support for the ventilation process, and it does not even help with the gas exchange that depends on lung function and circulatory function. Because the body becomes stiff after a few hours of death, it is very difficult to mechanically breathe on the patient.
- When can take the patient to detach the breathing tube?
The breathing tube cannot be suddenly withdrawn from the patient. Before deciding to withdraw the snorkel, it must be stable according to the patient’s clinical condition. The patient is gradually removed from the ventilator by a process called “weaning,” which can take hours to days.
