Mechanical Ventilation *MADE EASY* | Ventilator Basics Explained

Mechanical ventilation is a life-saving intervention for patients who are unable to breathe on their own. This video provides an overview of this topic!

➡️ Mechanical Ventilation
Mechanical ventilation involves the use of a machine to help a patient who is unable to breathe spontaneously. Therefore, it is indicated for patients who are unable to maintain adequate ventilation. Ventilation is the process of taking in oxygen during inhalation while removing carbon dioxide during exhalation. When a patient is unable to do this on their own, a ventilator can be used to assist with or completely take over the ventilatory process.

➡️ Indications
-- Insufficient oxygenation
-- Insufficient ventilation
-- Acute lung injury (ALI)
-- Severe asthma
-- Severe hypotension
-- Inability to protect the airway
-- Upper airway obstruction

Contraindications
A patient cannot survive without adequate ventilation and oxygenation. Therefore, there are no true contraindications for mechanical ventilation. However, there may be some circumstances where a patient chooses not to receive mechanical ventilation, such as when they have a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order in place. This means that the patient legally wishes not to receive life-saving interventions. In these cases, the patient’s goals of care must be respected.

Principles of Mechanical Ventilation
-- Ventilation
-- Oxygenation
-- Lung compliance
-- Airway resistance
-- Deadspace ventilation
-- Respiratory failure

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🚑MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with a physician with any questions that you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you watch in this video. We strive for 100% accuracy, but errors may occur, and medications, protocols, and treatment methods may change over time.

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⏰TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Mechanical ventilation
0:53 - Ventilation
1:11 - Indications
1:21 - Insufficient ventilation
1:50 - Acute lung injury (ALI)
2:00 - Severe asthma
2:16 - Severe hypotension
2:27 - Inability to protect the airway
2:40 - Upper airway obstruction
3:13 - Contraindications
3:52 - Principles of Mechanical Ventilation
4:06 - Ventilation
4:11 - Oxygenation
4:17 - Lung Compliance
4:22 - Airway Resistance
4:28 - Deadspace Ventilation
4:36 - Respiratory Failure
4:55 - What is a Mechanical Ventilator?
6:22 - Benefits
7:31 - Complications
8:41 - Types
9:00 - Positive-Pressure Ventilation
9:30 - Negative-Pressure Ventilation
9:57 - Examples
10:25 - Invasive Mechanical Ventilation
10:37 - Primary Types of Artificial Airways
11:08 - Noninvasive Ventilation
11:29 - Types
11:55 - Ventilator Modes
12:10 - Ventilator Control Variables
12:16 - Volume Control (VC)
12:41 - Pressure Control (PC)
13:14 - Types of Ventilator Modes
13:56 - Primary Ventilator Modes
14:06 - Assist/Control (A/C)
14:39 - SIMV
15:11 - Ventilator Settings
16:57 - Initiation of Mechanical Ventilation
17:20 - Initial Ventilator Settings
19:03 - Artificial Airways
19:34 - Other Types of Artificial Airways
20:26 - Drugs Used in Mechanical Ventilation
21:06 - Analgesic Agents
21:34 - Managing Patients on the Ventilator
22:33 - Monitoring Mechanically Ventilated Patients
23:06 - Mechanical ventilation monitoring
23:19 - Ventilator Alarms
23:36 - Several types of ventilator alarms
23:54 - Ventilator Waveforms
24:32 - Ventilator Troubleshooting
26:21 - Ventilator Weaning
26:51 - Type of respiratory disease
27:28 - Weaning Criteria
28:48 - Spontaneous Breathing Trial
29:24 - Extubation
30:11 - Neonatal Mechanical Ventilation
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#mechanicalventilation #ventilator #mechanicalventilator

[LionBrothersProd]

As a struggling RT student, I always look to your videos for clarity and understanding. I'm a very visual learner and showing example and breaking things down with animations really helps. I appreciate this video so much as mech vent has been a struggle for me since day one. After watching this I feel I have a better idea of how it all works. Which is lucky for me because I have my ICU clinical rotation coming up in 3 weeks and I don't want to look dumb in front of my preceptor. Also, thanks to the better understanding of it, it makes me less nervous to finish my degree and start a new career. I hope I'll make my little girl proud of her daddy. All this hard work is for her! So thanks again for posting all these helpful videos, and practice tests, and cheat sheets! It means a lot to me. Have a great day

[jezzicareyes]

I’ve been a therapist for 2 years and went to school during the peak of Covid. Many online, zoom, and some in class courses but one thing for sure RT zone always was my number one go to when I didn’t fully understand something! You guys rock

[larissacreighton]

I have since graduated and been a therapist for a little over 4 years now but I still refresh my memory from your videos. There is always more to learn. Thanks for keeping us caught up on all things respiratory!

[sherryruhl]

I just graduated in May. Your videos and study guides helped me tremendously in school. I’m going to take my CSE Thursday. I love how you break each topic down to the basic overall picture. I learn in multiple ways so listening, watching and reading your materials help me grasp the concept. Thank you so very much for how you reach the RT community.

[ykzjthc]

As a RT that graduated then had to have brain surgery, your videos always help clarify everything for me and makes it simple to understand!

[nikkit]

Thank you for investing your time and energy into creating videos like this one. I've been an RT for almost 12 years, and we have RT students we precept from different schools. These refreshers help me to better educate the students as well as help me explain what we're doing. It's so easy to get into my own rhythm of work and not see it from the student/ new grad point of view. I wish the school I had attended utilized your videos.

[joycesteele]

The dedication you put into educating us, future respiratory therapists & older RT's too, shows how much you care about our profession. I am in my final year of RT school and I look forward to my daily RT questions, I utilize all of the information sheets you have provided as well as the reference booklets and I believe all of this information that you provide has strengthened my knowledge to perform at the top of the respiratory profession as well as becoming a strong patient advocate. There have been 3 instances while working as an RT student that I have raised concerns regarding a patient's condition deteriorating due to the information you have provided to me. Those patients were saved, their quality of life has been improved because I chose to invest in your educational modalities to fill in the gaps that otherwise are not taught in school. Thank you for being of service and providing the educational videos and other various detailed information. 2024 RT Graduate, Joyce

[angelicaevans]

I have 6 months of school remaining and while I have been faced with some obstacles (both inside and outside the classroom) I always look for refreshers. Your videos are extremely helpful! You take the time to break things down in a language that’s actually understandable. I am always engaged from start to finish after watching each video. Mechanical ventilation was definitely a tough topic but thanks to you, I feel better knowing that I actually understand and can comprehend all of the data that is tied into this topic. I am a single mother with 2 boys so getting my degree and certification means everything to me. Thank you so much for your content. I look forward to more of your content.

[brittany]

Good morning! In school I had a difficult time understanding mech vent but receiving emails from John RRT has been very helpful. I’ve only been in the field for about 4 months and I’ve started working in the ICU! These videos and handouts are a blessing and I appreciate y’all!

[PaigeHarley-okri]

As a respiratory student, respiratory therapy zone has been a life line for me!! I look forward to new posts where concepts are broken down in a manner that is very easy to understand! I also love practicing sample questions to test myself on how much I know even if I haven’t learned the concept yet ❤️ Thank you respiratory therapy zone!!!!

[makaelasmith]

I am currently doing my ICU rotations learning how to take care of ventilated patients. This video really helps clear up some confusion I really appreciate your content. Sometimes I just needs to hear things said in a different way for me to fully grasp the information. Thanks so much!

[diannabonner]

I'm an RRT who left the field and am returning after a long time away. Your videos are well done and so helpful at getting me back up to speed! Lots of changes while I was away so I depend on your channel to make sure I'm bridging the gap.

[audryavila]

As a new grad I have watch many videos on mechanical Ventilation, this is a great way to have all the important tips in one place that is trusted. Thank you for the help!

[margarettcabanero]

This video was easy to understand. Simple enough for those that are in respiratory school and those that are not. As mentioned in the video, MV is hard to understand because there is so much that goes into setting and manipulating based on the patient's disease process. This video helped me focus my understanding of the basics. I was able to write down the key points along with an easy explanation of all the modes, the settings & the reasons a person is placed on a ventilator and how the ventilator assist breathing. For me, Its easier to learn something if the basics are explained simple & then build on it. This video did just that. Thank you for all you do!

[jamieorr]

Your videos helped me to grasp the content i was struggling with. Also helped me pass my boards. Thank you!

[johnyoung]

As an RT student the videos y’all provide answer so many questions when I’m just sitting there confused as all get out. Please keep it up

[eucabethkuzzen]

hi, am a trauma and emergency nursing student from kenya.This video has been so helpful for me as i prepare for my practical exams in the ICU on equipments.Such a life saver.As a first time user of the mechanical ventilator, your explanations are very much better than the 8+ hours lecture that had left me scared and lost.May God bless your good work and keep it up

[btquszz]

Mechanical ventilation is a tough topic to understand and as a respiratory therapist we use this information every day. It’s great to have a different point of view explaining it when you don’t quite grasp it yet.

[kaydeekelly]

I love how you made everything sound so simple. I usually used your video to explain the concept to my young medical officers

[ggrwziv]

Respiratory Therapy Zone is the best way to learn! This video is so helpful when it comes to truly understanding a ventilator and why they are used. There are so many modes too ventilation that can be complicated to understand. I went through respiratory school thinking I would never fully understand how they worked. I would recommend this video to anyone who struggles with mechanical ventilation.