Home Ventilator Machines

Health and Wellness » Respiratory Care in India » Home Ventilator Machines

Ventilator machines help to supply oxygen in the respiratory system, when the individual is unable to breathe. These machines are unusually found in clinics or hospitals, but nowadays due to vast improvement in the technologies, these machines are available for home usage also. Other than home ventilator machines, wheelchairs, nutritionals, suction machines, lifts and extensive inventory of ancillary equipments are available as home equipments.

What is a Ventilator Machine?

Ventilator machine is the device which is designed in such a way that it can mechanically move the breathable air into and out of lungs for making the patient breathe smoothly, especially if he/she is unable to breathe or cannot breathe sufficiently.

This equipment is also known as respirator which assist the oxygenated air to go inside the lungs without any problem. Most of the people who have a family member needing ventilators must have the idea of how large and complex ventilators settings in the hospital are. However, nowadays, home ventilator machines are made available, so that it can be convenient for the patients to use it at home which is portable and light in weight. Their settings are made in a way that it can be mounted on wheelchairs or put on a bedside stand. Many home ventilators are operated on household electronics current or with external batteries.

A ventilator supplies the oxygenated air into the airways and then to the lungs. The airways are the pipes carrying oxygen-rich air in your lungs. They carry waste gas and carbon dioxide out of your lungs. The airways have:

1. Windpipe
2. Tubes called bronchial tubes and their branches
3. Mouth
4. Nose and linked air passages called nasal cavities
5. Larynx

   Working of Home Ventilator Machines

   The individual is connected with the ventilator machine through the endotracheal tube which is inserted into the windpipe. This tube is then introduced in the trachea through the mouth or nose during the process known as intubation. It is held in the place with the help of an adhesive tape which is connected to the ventilator. People who need ventilator machines are those who are in or have:

   1. Coma
   2. Severe fatigue
   3. Less oxygen in blood
   4. Ineffective breathing
   5. Absence of breathing
   6. Person is put to sleep with general anesthesia

   Home Ventilator Machines

   This type of machines differ from bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) breathing machines as they can maintain the patient’s respiratory rate in case the breathing process becomes slow. They also regulate the pressure which is required to supply the necessary amount of breath volume to the patient. They are flexible enough to be used as a mask slipped on over the mouth or through a tracheotomy tube.

   A person who had to visit the hospital most of the times due to high carbon dioxide levels or advanced stages of COPD or some kind of respiratory disorder must consult to doctor if a home ventilator can be helpful.

   Equipment/Supplies for Home Ventilator Machines

   • External 12 volt battery and cord
   • Ventilator and associated circuits, filters and tubing
   • Equipments required for bowel, bladder and personal care like hospital bed
   • Wheelchair, commode and/or bedpan
   • Tracheotomy equipment and supplies
   • Air compressor and tubing for aerosol treatments
   • Communication aids
   • Heated humidifier or cascade

   It is necessary to monitor the home ventilator machine routinely for tidal volume setting, system pressure and respiratory rate and alarm functioning. Mechanical problems like kinks in tubing, changes in respiratory rate, malfunction of the exhalation valve result to ventilation problem for patients. Regular monitoring of ventilation machine and tubing can help you know any potential problems before they make any difficulties.

   In case if you are planning to get home a ventilator machine at home for the individual having respiratory disorder, make sure that consulting the doctor is a must. Get detailed information of the company’s machine which is durable and cost effective. Do not take any risk while buying such a machine. Maintenance of such a machine is necessary for its long term use.