Mechanical ventilation

Abstract

This paper presents the concepts and principles of mechanical ventilation with special interest in the new modalities and its application in patients with respiratory failure. It also discusses the mechanical ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) based on the new concepts obtained in recent clinical and experimental works. The use of low tidal volumes (4 to 7 ml/kg) and the application of positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) according to the low-infection point in the pressure X volume curve of the respiratory system.