Ventilator Timings?

[Mser94]

What's the longest time you can be on a ventilator without long term damage?

[IndigoSunflower]

Hi there,I'm by no means an expert. I'm a nurse and work in coronary care and occasionally use ventilation such as NIV or CPAP. I'm afraid your question is a bit 'how long is a piece of string'. There's different risks involved like oxygen toxicity or ventilator induced lung damage but this is usually something that happens when a person is ventilated for a long time. Using the lowest pressure that adequately oxygenates the body will help avoid VILI. If you're concerned about this, talk to the doctor or nurse involved in the person's care. If the person is ventilated for a long time they may need a tracheostomy which means the ventilator will go directly through the neck and down into the lungs that way which can help preserve vocal cords and is considered when a person has been ventilated for a few weeks and shows no signs of being able to tolerate life without ventilation. This isnt something I deal with much so I'm afraid I'm a bit useless. This type of situation is more geared towards ITU care. Also, on a side note VILI doesn't happen every time. You also need to think of what past medical history someone has, scarring on the lungs would make injury more likely. Hope this helps and all the best with what you are going through.

Eve