| ventilator | A ventilator is a machine which mechanically assists patients in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide (sometimes referred to as artificial respiration). (12 Dec 1998) |
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| ventilator weaning | Techniques for effecting the transition of the respiratory-failure patient from mechanical ventilation to spontaneous ventilation, while meeting the criteria that tidal volume be above a given threshold (greater than 5 ml/kg), respiratory frequency be below a given count (less than 30 breaths/min), and oxygen partial pressure be above a given threshold (pao2 greater than 50mm hg). Weaning studies focus on finding methods to monitor and predict the outcome of mechanical ventilator weaning as well as finding ventilatory support techniques which will facilitate successful weaning. Present methods include intermittent mandatory ventilation, intermittent positive pressure ventilation, and mandatory minute volume ventilation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ventilators, mechanical | Mechanical devices used to produce or assist pulmonary ventilation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ventilators, negative-pressure | Body ventilators that assist ventilation by applying intermittent subatmospheric pressure around the thorax, abdomen, or airway and periodically expand the chest wall and inflate the lungs. They are relatively simple to operate and do not require tracheostomy. These devices include the tank ventilators ("iron lung"), portalung, pneumowrap, and chest cuirass ("tortoise shell"). (12 Dec 1998) |
| ventilatory compliance | The sum of dynamic compliance of the lung and thoracic compliance. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mechanical ventilator | <apparatus> Mechanically assisted breathing using a electrically powered device that forces oxygenated air into the lungs and then allow time for passive exhalation of air. (27 Sep 1997) |
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