What is Mechanical Ventilation?
Mechanical ventilation is a form of life support applied when a person cannot breathe adequately on their own. It helps deliver enough oxygen to the blood and remove accumulated carbon dioxide from the body.
It involves a machine called a Ventilator connected to the patient through an airway interface.
Types of Mechanical Ventilation
Non-Invasive (NIV)
Airway interface is a face mask, nose mask, or helmet. No tube is inserted into the airway.
Invasive
A tube is placed through the mouth (intubation) or neck (tracheostomy) and connected to the ventilator.
Who Needs Mechanical Ventilation?
- During surgery — general anaesthesia reduces the ability to breathe independently
- Certain lung conditions or infections (pneumonia, ARDS, COVID-19, COPD)
- Medical emergencies that block the airway or impair breathing
- Brain injuries or stroke where the brain cannot properly control breathing
- Too much carbon dioxide (hypercapnia) or not enough oxygen (hypoxaemia) in the blood
- To prevent aspiration of food or saliva into the lungs
- Traumatic brain injury, coma, or severe infection
Benefits
- Keeps the airway open at all times
- Reduces breathing effort so the body can focus on healing
- Delivers the correct amount of oxygen and removes carbon dioxide
- Maintains pressure to prevent the small air sacs in the lungs from collapsing
Risks
- Inability to discontinue ventilator support (ventilator dependence)
- Bacterial infections including ventilator-associated pneumonia
- Collapsed lung (pneumothorax)
- Lung damage from ventilation pressure
- Side effects of sedative medications (weakness, delirium)
- Effects on heart function and blood flow to vital organs
Is the Patient Kept Awake?
Most patients receive sedatives and pain relief to keep them calm and comfortable. The goal is to keep the patient as awake as safely possible. If very unwell, deeper sedation may be needed. Some patients may need their hands gently restrained to prevent them from pulling out tubes.