
Pearls for Mechanical Ventilation
1. Call for help if you’re unsure.
2. Assess the patient first before the ventilator.
3. Troubleshoot problems using the EPICC Assessment framework.
A Quick Word…
When we think of critical care, we think of ventilators but we would just like to remind you that critical care is a constellation of advanced therapeutics that is only as good as the team that surrounds it.
A huge pitfall for nurses in critical care is fixation error on the ventilator. The biggest pearl we want to emphasize is the importance of assessing the patient FIRST – not the ventilator! Troubleshoot problems using the EPICC assessment framework.
Ventilator Modes and Alarms
References
- Walter, James M et al. “Invasive Mechanical Ventilation.” Southern medical journal vol. 111,12 (2018): 746-753. doi:10.14423/SMJ.0000000000000905
- Bhakti, P. (2020). Merck Manual. Overview of Mechanical Ventilation. https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/critical-care-medicine/respiratory-failure-and-mechanical-ventilation/overview-of-mechanical-ventilation.
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