Mechanical ventilation

Abstract

Positive pressure mechanical ventilation was first introduced during the polio epidemic about 50 years ago and represents the most common form of life support in a modern intensive care unit (ICU).1 Management of the ventilated patient requires an understanding of how ventilators and the human respiratory system interact and what types of ventilators are available. In this chapter, we discuss the basics of mechanical ventilation, the most common modes of ventilation, the choice of ventilatory modalities in specific disease states, and the complications of mechanical ventilation. © 2010 Springer-Verlag US.