What To Expect While on a Ventilator

Ventilators normally don't cause pain. The breathing tube in your airway may cause some discomfort. It also affects your ability to talk and eat. If your breathing tube is a trach tube, you may be able to talk.

 

Instead of food, you may be given nutrients through a vein in your body. If you’re on a ventilator for a long time, you’ll likely get food through a nasogastric, or feeding, tube. The tube goes through your nose or mouth or directly into your stomach or small intestine through a surgically made hole.

 

A ventilator greatly restricts your activity and also limits your movement. You may be able to sit up in bed or in a chair, but you usually can't move around much.

 

 

Patient on a Ventilator

 

The illustration shows a standard setup for a ventilator in a hospital room. The ventilator pushes warm, moist air to the patient. Exhaled air flows away from the patient.

 

If you need to use a ventilator long term, you may get a portable machine. This machine allows you to move around and even go outside, although you need to bring your ventilator with you.

 

Sometimes the ventilator is set so that you can trigger the machine to blow air into your lungs. But, if you fail to trigger it within a certain amount of time, the machine automatically blows air to keep you breathing.

 

Ongoing Care

 

While you're on a ventilator, your health care team will closely watch you. The team may include doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists. You may need periodic chest x rays and regular blood tests to check the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your body.

 

These tests help your health care team find out how well the ventilator is working for you. Based on the test results, they may adjust the ventilator's airflow and other settings as needed.

 

Also, a nurse or respiratory therapist will suction your breathing tube from time to time. Suctioning removes mucus from your lungs. It will cause you to cough. You also may feel short of breath for several seconds. You may get extra oxygen during suctioning to relieve this symptom.

 

 

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

 

What Are the Risks of Being on a Ventilator?

One of the most serious and common risks of being on a ventilator is pneumonia. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is linked to the breathing tube that's put in your airway when you're on a ventilator.

 

The tube may make it easy for bacteria to get into your lungs. It also makes it hard for you to cough. Coughing is important for helping to get rid of bacteria.

 

VAP is a major concern for people using ventilators because they're often already very sick. Pneumonia may make it harder to treat their original disease or condition.

 

VAP is treated with antibiotics. You may need special antibiotics if the VAP is due to bacteria that are resistant to standard treatment.

 

Another risk of being on a ventilator is sinus infection. This is more common in people who have an endotracheal tube.Sinus infections are treated with antibiotics.

 

Other Risks

 

Using a ventilator also can put you at risk for other problems, such as:

 

These problems may occur because of the forced airflow or higher levels of oxygen from the ventilator.

 

Using a ventilator also can put you at risk for blood clots and serious skin infections. These problems tend to occur in people who have certain diseases and/or who are confined to bed or a wheelchair and must remain in one position for long periods.

 

Another possible problem is damage to the vocal cords from the breathing tubes. If it's hard for you to speak or breathe after your breathing tube is taken out, let your doctor know.

 

What To Expect When You're Taken Off of a Ventilator

"Weaning" is the process of taking you off a ventilator so that you can start to breathe on your own. People usually are weaned after they've recovered enough from the problem that caused them to need the ventilator.

 

Weaning usually begins with a short trial. You stay connected to the ventilator, but you're given a chance to breathe on your own. Most people are able to breathe on their own the first time weaning is tried. Once you can successfully breathe on your own, the ventilator is stopped.

 

If you can't breathe on your own during the short trial, weaning will be tried at a later time. If repeated weaning attempts over a long time don't work, you may need to use the ventilator long term.

 

After you are weaned, the breathing tube is taken out. You may cough while this is happening. Your voice may be hoarse for a short time after the tube is taken out.

 

Key Points

• A ventilator is a machine that helps people breathe. Ventilators:

 

• • - Get oxygen into the lungs
  • - Remove carbon dioxide from the body
  • - Help people breathe easier
  • - Breathe for people who have lost all ability to breathe

 

• Ventilators don’t treat diseases or conditions. They’re used only for life support.

 

• A ventilator often is used for short periods, such as during surgery when you’re under anesthesia (that is, if you’re given medicines that temporarily put you to sleep and cause a loss of feeling). The medicines used to induce anesthesia can disrupt normal breathing. A ventilator helps make sure that you continue breathing during surgery.

 

• A ventilator also may be used during treatment for a serious lung disease or other condition that affects normal breathing.

 

• Ventilators blow air - or air with increased amounts of oxygen - into the airways and then the lungs. This is done using a breathing tube. Usually, the breathing tube is put into your windpipe through your nose or mouth. Sometimes the tube is put directly into your windpipe through a hole in the front of your neck.

 

• Ventilators normally don’t cause pain, but they greatly restrict your activity and limit your movement. People who need ventilators long term may get portable machines. These machines let them move around.

 

• One of the most serious and common risks of being on a ventilator is pneumonia. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is linked to the breathing tube that's put in your airway when you're on a ventilator. The tube may make it easy for bacteria to get into the lungs. It also makes it hard for you to cough. Coughing is important for helping to get rid of bacteria.

 

• Other risks of being on a ventilator include pneumothorax, lung damage, oxygen toxicity, blood clots, and serious skin infections.

 

• "Weaning" is the process of taking you off a ventilator so that you can start to breathe on your own. People usually are weaned after they've recovered enough from the problem that caused them to need the ventilator. Most people are able to breathe on their own the first time weaning is tried. If repeated weaning attempts over a long time don't work, you may need to use the ventilator long term.

 

• Most people need ventilators only for a short time. If you need to be on a ventilator for a long time, you may be able to have one at home.