Abstract
A wide variety of ventilators and modes can be used to deliver noninvasive ventilation (NIV). To navigate successfully through the many options, the clinician must first have a clear understanding of the goals of mechanical ventilation: namely, safety, comfort, and timely liberation. Examining the specific objectives associated with these goals, we can distinguish priorities for NIV. This paper reviews the methods of achieving those objectives by reviewing the characteristics of ventilation modes and how those characteristics are measured in performance-evaluation studies. This review provides the basis for a simple procedure for selecting the most appropriate NIV technology for the patient and the environment of care.
- mechanical ventilation
- ventilator
- ventilation mode
- noninvasive ventilation
- NIV
- bi-level
- proportional-assist ventilation
- pressure support
- lung model
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Robert L Chatburn RRT-NPS FAARC, Respiratory Therapy, M-56, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland OH 44195. E-mail: chatbur{at}ccf.org.
Mr Chatburn has a relationship with Cardinal Health. He reports no other conflicts of interest related to the content of this paper.
Mr Chatburn presented a version of this paper at the 42nd Respiratory Care Journal Conference, “Noninvasive Ventilation in Acute Care: Controversies and Emerging Concepts,” held March 7-9, 2008, in Cancún, México.
- Copyright © 2009 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.
