What is a Ventilator Machine?

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Most of the people having chronic respiratory illness might not be aware of what is a ventilator machine. It is usually needed by the patients who at certain point of time, fail to breathe and feels suffocated. Ventilator machine is the device designed to mechanically move the breathable air in lungs and provides the breathing mechanism to the patients who fail to breathe physically or cannot breathe sufficiently.

What is a Ventilator Machine

If you find anybody in such a situation, then that person must be placed on the ventilator machine. It artificially helps the patients to breathe and take over the lungs’ work.

Working of Ventilator

Ventilator helps to blow up the air with some oxygen in the airways and then the lungs. These airways’ pipes carry oxygen rich air, some waste gas and carbon dioxide out of your lungs. The airways have:

  • Trachea or windpipe
  • Tubes known as bronchial tubes or bronchi and their branches
  • Nose or linked air passages called nasal cavities
  • Larynx or voice box
  • Mouth

Along with the air filled with oxygen, the ventilator also processes the blood gas and removes the carbon dioxide and supplies oxygen. A team of medical professionals helps to make sure that there is equal amount of gases in the blood to avoid any complications.

Is the Ventilator Painful?

Patients who need ventilators can have some complaints of discomfort from the breathing tube or tracheotomy tube. Some patients also have the tendency to cough. They can have the problem of running of breath shortness even if they are placed on the machine.

However, patients must relax with the fact that the process of ventilation is controlled by the experienced and skilled staff.

Types: You will find many different sizes and shapes of ventilators, but all generally work in the same process. The ICU team has great knowledge about setting up the ventilator. Patients who are ventilated have to be monitored or must be looked after by a nurse.

There are some advanced techniques where the device only monitors the patient. If the patient breathes, the machine is idle and if he fails to breathe, then the machine helps him out to breathe. Some machines are set to deliver breaths automatically at the rate set by the experts.

Chest shell is another type of ventilation machine which is not usually recommended by doctors. This machine works like an iron lung and was earlier used for polio patients.

Patients get artificial breaths through any of the three ways including tracheotomy, endotracheal tube or facemask. Facemask is called non-invasive positive pressure ventilation way. The patient is put on ventilator until he or she resumes breathing naturally.

Person who needs a Ventilator: The use of ventilator can be short or long depending on the time the patient breathes naturally. It is needed by the patient who has:

  • Absence of breathing or apnea
  • Ineffective breathing due to-
    1. Decreased oxygen in the blood
    2. Decreased alertness
  • Severe fatigue
  • An obstructed airway
  • Coma
  • Spinal cord injury
  • General anesthesia when patients are put to sleep with medicines

Advantages of a Ventilator

  • The ventilator helps the lungs to function in a proper way till the time, the patients does not breathe on his own. Its usability can be for a short time even likes during surgery or for a long time like when the patient is in a coma. This device does not cure the problem of breathing, but can support your system when you need to breathe. A team of medical experts can also help you to learn to breathe on your own.
  • This equipment helps the person to breathe in an artificial way. It is usually found in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) in hospitals or rehabilitation centers. However, due to advanced technology you will find many models that you can be used at home during emergency. These devices are made for the people having a chronic condition. Portable machines have also been made for the patients who are confined to a bed.

Family members often feel relief when their loved ones are sent home on a ventilator. Situations can come where health care nurse or respiratory therapist may become careless. So from your side also, make sure that you know what is a ventilator machine and how should you operate it. This will make you and your family members manage the ventilator and enable the loved ones to be safe within the comforts of your home.