What it means
A ventilator moves air and oxygen in and out of the lungs for a person who cannot breathe well enough alone. Most often the air goes through a breathing tube placed by endotracheal intubationen-doh-TRAY-kee-ul in-too-BAY-shunPutting a breathing tube through the mouth or nose into the windpipe (trachea).endo- withintrache/o windpipe-al relating toFull entry or through a tracheostomy; some machines work through a tight face mask. The provider sets the rate, the size of each breath and the oxygen level, and the nurse watches how the client responds.
For the nurse
Check the breathing tube's position and the lung sounds, the oxygen saturation and the vital signs, and answer every ventilator alarm at once. Keep the head of the bed raised 30 to 45 degrees, give mouth care and suction as needed to lower the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia, and keep a bag-valve mask at the bedside. Never silence an alarm without finding the cause.
In a chart
"Client on mechanical ventilation, rate 14, FiO2 40%; breath sounds equal bilaterally; ETT secured at 22 cm at the lip."
At a glance
| Everyday words | being on a breathing machine |
|---|---|
| Spanish | ventilación mecánica |
| Also written | mechanical ventilator, mechanical ventilators, ventilator, ventilators, ventilated |
Related terms
intensive care unit
A hospital unit that gives close, constant care to people who are critically ill.
endotracheal intubation
Putting a breathing tube through the mouth or nose into the windpipe (trachea).
pneumonia
An infection of one or both lungs in which the air sacs fill with fluid or pus.
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.