The ventilator is a machine designed to provide artificial respiration for a patient with respiratory failure of any cause. The ventilator pumps humidified air (with a measured amount of oxygen) into the lungs via the endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube. The elasticity of the lungs allows the expulsion of the air. Doctors use ventilators to control the amount of oxygen in the blood and the volume of air flowing into the lungs.
In the hospital, ventilators are carefully monitored and adjusted only by people who are qualified to do so. These include respiratory therapists, nurses, and doctors. Ventilators are very effective in treating respiratory failure, but they are not without their own problems. For example, ventilators may interfere with the ability to communicate and swallow.
Ventilators can increase the blood levels of oxygen and decrease carbon dioxide levels, but they don’t reverse the underlying disease. Patients complain that it is very unnatural to have a ma-chine breathe for them and the endotracheal tubes can be uncomfortable. Therefore, many patients need to get extra sedation while on the ventilator. Finally, while on the ventilator, physicians need to take many blood tests and X-rays to monitor the disease progress and efficiency and safety of the ventilator.