Lecture Summary

Critical Care Nurses are assuming greater responsibility in the management and care of patients receiving mechanical ventilation. This session focusses on the foundational aspects of mechanical ventilation that is essential for every Critical Care Nurse to know and understand. How the mechanical ventilator delivers breaths (volume vs pressure), compliance and resistance, ventilator settings, peak and plateau pressures, and initiating mechanical ventilation, are highlighted. Current best practice strategies for ventilating the adult patient with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) will also be reviewed. This session aims to assist Critical Care Nurses to become more familiar with mechanical ventilation, thereby enhancing patient outcomes.

Target Audience

Critical Care Nurses
Trainee Critical Care Doctors

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, you should be able to:

• Identify the importance of understanding mechanical ventilation in adult ICU
• State two approaches by which breaths can be delivered by a mechanical ventilator
• Identify and describe essential key ventilator settings, including triggering and cycling variables
• Explain the concepts of resistance and compliance
• Apply knowledge of mechanical ventilation to critically ill patients with ARDS

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Trauma for critical care nurses

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