Mechanical Ventilation 101
Mechanical ventilation is often one of the most daunting topics for learners who are new to the ICU environment. However, there are a lot of fantastic resources available to help increase your comfort level in caring for intubated patients including the following:
- Basics of Mechanical Ventilation for the Clinician: This step-by-step presentation from CHEST provides a helpful approach to understanding the basics.
- Simplifying Mechanical Ventilation: This is a great series from RebelEM
Sometimes the various modes of mechanical ventilation can get confusing as well. It is helpful to start by focusing on the most common modes that you will see on your ICU rotations at Sinai/UHN: Pressure Support, Pressure Control, and Volume Control.
