When someone you love has been seriously injured in an accident it may be necessary for them to be on a ventilator. A ventilator takes over the work of breathing. This may be necessary if there is damage to the lungs which requires lung pressure and breathing rate to be carefully managed. It’s also necessary if sedative medications are being used which could suppress the body’s impulse to breathe. Sedatives may be necessary if there is a brain injury or other serious trauma which requires the patient to lie as quietly as possible.

Why is the Ventilator Alarming?

It is normal for the ventilator to beep and alarm. These alarms are usually not an emergency but give the nurses and physicians feedback on how the machine is working, and how well the patient is tolerating the ventilator settings. For example, if the patient is trying to breathe against the machine or biting down on the tube, the machine will alarm. The patient will be connected to several monitoring devices that work together to identify any life threatening issues, so in the extremely rare case that alarms malfunction on one machine there is a backup machine in place.

Coming off the Ventilator

When the team decides the patient is ready to come off the ventilator and starts lightening sedation, the patient may begin to struggle, and more alarms will sound. This is called “weaning” from the ventilator and respiratory therapists will be close by making numerous changes to the settings. As the body starts taking over breathing, it will instinctively try to cough out the breathing tube. It’s very important that the patient doesn’t pull this tube out because there is a small balloon holding it in place in the throat. For this reason it’s common to keep the patient’s arms restrained. The medical team may ask a loved one to be at the bedside to talk to the patient through the process as they begin to wake up.

Getting the Best Possible Care

The use of ventilators is common when there is multi-system trauma. After an accident it’s important to have the best specialists available evaluate all immediate and long term treatment needs. Dr. Greg Vigna is a board certified rehabilitation doctor who has cared for trauma patients for over 20 years. As a personal injury attorney he advocates for leading edge therapies which can optimize long term outcomes. For more information or for a free case evaluation contact the Greg Vigna M.D. J.D. law offices today.