Intensive & critical care nursing : the official journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Oct 1997
ReviewPhysiological changes occurring with positive pressure ventilation: Part one.
Critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation are subject to a variety of complications and adverse effects associated with positive pressure ventilation. An awareness of the major physiological effects is important, as recognition, prevention and appropriate treatment of complications is critical to optimizing patient outcome. Pierson (1990) suggests that complications due to ventilation occur with greater frequency than is generally appreciated, and can be a response to suboptimal ventilatory management as a result of poor communication and lack of understanding. ⋯ This increases the nurses' confidence and allows them to focus on the patients and associated problems while maintaining safe and informed care. With the introduction of mechanical ventilation, major physiological changes occur, for example airway resistance and intrathoracic pressures are increased and lung mechanics are altered. The following article provides explanation as to how and why mechanical ventilation produces these changes, and highlights areas where they occur.