Respiratory System: Physiology of Mechanical Ventilation
Airway and ventilatory management are mandatory skills for the critical care surgeon. Identifying and correctly managing a patient’s airway is the first step followed by correcting any oxygenation or ventilation deliver deficits. Mechanical ventilation with positive pressure has multiple physiologic effects that must be completely understood in a complex critically ill patient. Invasive and non-invasive modalities may be used to aid in achieving these goals. Further strategies such as using low tidal volume, adequate PEEP, and rescue strategies are important in patients with ARDS. Weaning from the ventilator as soon as able is an important consideration to improve outcomes, The subsequent chapter reviews airway management and the physiologic aspects of mechanical ventilation to aid in decision-making when caring for the critically ill patient with deficits in oxygenation or ventilation. This review 5 figures, 2 tables, and 41 references. Key Words: airway management, mechanical ventilation, invasive ventilation, non-invasive ventilation, tracheostomy, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), positive pressure ventilation, oxygenation