Nursing care of the mechanically ventilated patient in ITU: 1

The mechanically ventilated patient often represents the ultimate in vulnerability and demands the highest standards of nursing care. Not only may the patient be unconscious but also the artificial airway is an unnatural invasion of the most innate physiological mechanism--breathing, and the nurse must safeguard this during all aspects of care. Nursing these patients is immensely satisfying and varied. It ranges from caring for the patient's activities of daily living to carrying out the highly technical and invasive monitoring and interventions which require specialist knowledge and skills. This article, the first in a two-part series, covers the types of ventilation, suction therapy, oral and eye care, elimination, body position, physiotherapy and the physiological effects of mechanical ventilation.