A ventilator is a machine that helps people breathe. It's mainly used in hospitals. Ventilators:
- Get oxygen into the lungs
- Remove carbon dioxide (a waste gas that can be toxic) from the body
- Help people breathe easier
- Breathe for people who have lost all ability to breathe on their own
Who needs a ventilator? Ventilators are used for:
Surgery
A ventilator often is used for short periods, such as during surgery when you're under general anesthesia. The medicines used to induce anesthesia can disrupt normal breathing. A ventilator helps make sure that you continue breathing during surgery. A ventilator also may be used during treatment for a serious lung disease or other condition that affects normal breathing.
Impaired Lung Function
You may need a ventilator if a disease, condition, or other factor has impaired your breathing. Although you may be able to breathe on your own, it's very hard work. You may feel short of breath and uncomfortable. A ventilator can help ease the work of breathing. People who can't breathe on their own also use ventilators. Many diseases, conditions, and factors can affect lung function.
Examples include:
- Pneumonia and other infections
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or other lung diseases
- Upper spinal cord injuries, polio, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), myasthenia gravis, and other diseases or factors that affect the nerves and muscles involved in breathing
- Brain injury or stroke
- Drug overdose
A ventilator helps you breathe until you recover. If you can't recover enough to breathe on your own, you may need a ventilator for the rest of your life.