Mechanical Ventilation- Terminology
Volume controlled ventilation
We can put a certain volume of air into the patient with each breath in mechanical ventilation
Pressure controlled ventilation
We can put air into the patient until the pressure reaches a certain value.
Rate
We can decide how often we give the patient a breath each minute, or how often the patient is initiating their own breath each minute, or a combination of the two.
FiO2
In other words the oxygen concentration we give to the patient, from 21% (room air) to 100%.
Peak Pressure
Maximum pressure in the proximal airway at the end of inspiration
Plateau Pressure
Equilibrium pressure reached if the expiratory tubing is occluded at the end of inspiration. It is a surrogate for end-inspiratory alveolar pressure
What triggers the breath?
Do we have the patient decide when they want to breathe, or do we have the ventilator decide when to initiate a breath. Or indeed a combination of the two? Is it ventilator controlled or patient controlled?
Mechanical Ventilation
- Peak and Plateau Pressure
- AC versus SIMV mode
- Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP)
- Increase the rate or tidal volume?
- Phases of a breath- I:E ratio and cycle time
- Intubation
- Ventilation screen- what do those numbers mean?
- Pressure Support
- Modes of ventilation I
- Modes of ventilation II
- Physiologic effects
- Physiologic goals
- How do I describe how my patients ventilation?
- Trigger, Limit and Cycle
- Pressure support ventilation graphs
- ARDS and Proning
- 6 ways to be better with Bag-Valve-Mask
- Terminology
- Phase Variables
- Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV)
- Pressure Volume Loop
- Lung compliance in volume controlled ventilation
- Pressure/Volume/Flow graphs
- A-a gradient
- Goals and Indications
- Anatomy of the Endotracheal Tube
- Lung Compliance
- Ventilation/Perfusion V/Q matching
- Ventilator Induced Lung Injury (VILI)
- Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP)
- Phase variables...again...
- Capnography
Guidelines for the management of tracheal intubation in critically ill adults
Having read the guidelines I made these infographics. They are FREE. Just let me know your email address and they will be sent to you.



