New features of mechanical ventilators are frequently introduced, including new modes, monitoring techniques, and triggering techniques. But new rarely translates into any measureable improvement in outcome. We describe 4 new techniques and attempt to define what is a new invention versus what is innovative-a technique that significantly improves a measurable variable. We describe and review th...

adequately ventilate), or both hypoxic and hypercapnic. In addition, respiratory failure can be caused by an inability to protect the airway. Alterations in the normal physiology and anatomy of the respiratory system can lead to respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Anatomic alterations causing airway obstruction, such as tumors, edema, direct or indirect trauma, burns, or other...

Mechanical ventilation originated as an in-hospital service but there is now an increasing demand for provision at home [1]. This is a consequence of social pressures, a better understanding of the significance of nocturnal hypoventilation in the pathogencsis of respiratory failure, and an awareness of respiratory muscle fatigue. It is important to recognize that there are two quite different c...

A b st ra ct Mechanical ventilation is routinely delivered to patients admitted in intensive care units to reduce work of breathing, improve oxygenation, or correct respiratory acidosis. Although traditional modes of mechanical ventilation achieve many of these goals, they have important limitations. Alternative modes are supposed to handle some of these limitations and are now available on mod...

Practice guidelines on weaning should be based on the results of several well-designed randomized studies performed over the last decade. One of those studies demonstrated that immediate extubation after successful trials of spontaneous breathing expedites weaning and reduces the duration of mechanical ventilation as compared with a more gradual discontinuation of ventilatory support. Two other...

• To review the frequency of weaning failure • To discuss the logic of weaning, ie, questions to ask when approaching the ventilated patient • To assess available predictors of weaning success and failure • To describe the techniques of weaning and the evidence supporting their use • To understand special considerations in weaning, eg, auto-positive end-expiratory pressure, imposed work of brea...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The II Brazilian Consensus Conference on Mechanical Ventilation was published in 2000. Knowledge on the field of mechanical ventilation evolved rapidly since then, with the publication of numerous clinical studies with potential impact on the ventilatory management of critically ill patients. Moreover, the evolving concept of evidence - based Medicine determined the gr...

OBJECTIVES To determine the characteristics, the frequency and the mortality rates of patients needing mechanical ventilation and to identify the risk factors associated with mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a general university hospital in southern Brazil. METHOD Prospective cohort study in patients admitted to the ICU who needed mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours betw...

Chorioamnionitis and mechanical ventilation are associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. Mechanical ventilation at birth activates both inflammatory and acute phase responses. These responses can be partially modulated by previous exposure to intra-amniotic (IA) LPS or Ureaplasma parvum (UP). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands participate in lung develop...

Respiratory support is an essential part of care during clinical course of premature infants. Despite the wide-spread use of non-invasive modes of ventilation today the most vulnerable extremely premature infants are still likely to require invasive mechanical ventilation. Multiple studies have been published addressing advantages and disadvantages of various modes of ventilation in neonates. I...