Learning About Mechanical Ventilation

What is mechanical ventilation?

Mechanical ventilation means that a machine is used to help you breathe. This treatment can help people with serious breathing problems. It may be used in people who have:

• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
• Asthma.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Severe pneumonia.
• Other reasons for severe trouble breathing.

Most of the time it's used only until you can breathe better on your own. But sometimes it's used for a longer time at home or in a care center. This is called chronic or long-term mechanical ventilation.

What are the types of ventilation?

There are two types of mechanical ventilation: noninvasive and invasive.

Noninvasive

A mask that is the right size for you is placed on your face. It may cover just your nose. Or it may cover your nose and mouth. A machine then helps you breathe. This reduces the work of breathing and gives you more oxygen.

This treatment may be used if you can breathe on your own but it's hard to breathe.

Invasive

A breathing tube is placed in your mouth and into your windpipe. A machine then helps you breathe. In severe cases, the machine may breathe for you while your lung function improves. You'll get medicines to help keep you as comfortable as possible. The breathing tube is removed when you're feeling better and can breathe on your own.

You may get this type of ventilation if:

• You have severe trouble breathing or you can't breathe on your own.
• You have other health problems that make it more likely that noninvasive ventilation won't work.
• You had noninvasive ventilation, but it didn't help your breathing.

If you need the ventilator for a long period of time, the doctor may make an opening directly in the trachea (tracheostomy) and place the tube through this opening.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and contact your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.