[Care for patients on mechanical ventilation from the perspective of an internal medicine physician]

At times of respiratory insufficiency, mechanical ventilation (MV) provides support for or a substitution ofcertain components of the respiratory system. The aim of ventilation therapy is to achieve appropriate ventilation and oxygenation parameters and to minimize adverse events of MV. The main examples of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) are Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP). The main benefit of NIV is a minimal need for tracheal intubation. To perform invasive mechanical ventilation, it is necessary to secure the airways with intubation or tracheotomy. We aim for the shortest possible duration of mechanical ventilation and intubation; their duration is a risk factor in development of ventilator-associated pneumonia.