Modes of mechanical ventilation

Abstract

There are several mechanical ventilation modalities available nowadays. The choice of the most apropriate ventilatory approach in a specific clinical situation depends on the features of the patient, type of ventilator available, and the experience of the medical and paramedical teams in handling the machine. This article gives a general view about the most important ventilatory modalities, the principles involved in their design, indications, and use in the daily clinical setting, aiming to help the reader to become familiarized with handling mechanical ventilators, essential tools to keep alive patients with respiratory failure.