Respiratory Support
Description General Measures Description The purpose of mechanical ventilation is to support the work of breathing, ensure adequate oxygenation, facilitate clearance of carbon dioxide, and minimise the trauma caused by ventilatory support. Indications for mechanical ventilation include: Hypoxaemic respiratory failure Excessive work of breathing: Inability to meet normal respiratory demands due to
Description
The purpose of mechanical ventilation is to support the work of breathing, ensure adequate oxygenation, facilitate clearance of carbon dioxide, and minimise the trauma caused by ventilatory support.
Indications for mechanical ventilation include:
- Hypoxaemic respiratory failure
- Excessive work of breathing:
- Inability to meet normal respiratory demands due to respiratory muscle weakness, e.g. Guillain-Barre Syndrome, opioid toxicity, or suxamethonium apnoea. Indicated by elevated PCO2, or reduced minute ventilation via respiratory rate or tidal volume.
- Inability to meet increased respiratory demand, e.g. asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), metabolic acidosis. Indicated by a PCO2 that can be low, normal, or high but is often inappropriately high for clinical scenario; tachypnoea; respiratory distress; impending fatigue.
- Neuroprotection: patient with brain injury that requires mechanical ventilation for PCO2 and PO2 control.
General Measures
Concomitant respiratory support using strategies such as high flow nasal oxygenation, non-invasive mechanical ventilation, and invasive mechanical ventilation. A detailed ventilation management strategy including initiation, titration and weaning of ventilation is presented in Appendix 23.I.
Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List for South Africa Adult Hospital _Chapter 23: Adult Critical Care_NEMLC Medicine Recommendations Review Cycle_ 2020_2023