International anesthesiology clinics
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The conventional modes of mechanical ventilation are volume-preset techniques that offer full or partial ventilatory support to the patient with respiratory insufficiency. The mode of ventilation is the aggregate of the mechanisms for initiation, limitation, and cycling of the ventilator. An understanding of the function of the ventilator during the phases of the respiratory cycle helps the clinician to choose the most appropriate mode of ventilation for the patient.
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Indications for mechanical ventilation have evolved substantially since widespread use of ventilatory support began in the early 1960s. While the metabolic and blood-gas alterations that mandate institution of ventilatory support have remained unaltered, new noninvasive modes of ventilation have widened the therapeutic options available to patients in acute respiratory failure. An understanding of the effect of mechanical ventilation on other organ systems has clarified the role of mechanical ventilation in the treatment of conditions other than respiratory failure such as stroke or head injury. ⋯ Understanding the epidemiology of respiratory failure in different disease categories is important to physicians, patients, and families in making informed decisions about their care. Mechanical ventilation represents a vital, fundamental form of life support. As the diseases, tools, and treatments change in anesthesia and critical care, careful definition of the role of mechanical ventilation in specific diseases, the route by which it is delivered, and the ability of such a form of life support to affect outcome will continue to be necessary.