The Complications of Mechanical Ventilation

Mechanical ventilation, though potentially lifesaving, is capable of producing complications, some of which may in themselves be life threatening. Several of these complications are related to endotracheal intubation. Critically ill patients are often immunosuppressed and are susceptible to nosocomial pneumonia for a number of reasons. Endotracheal intubation may predispose these patients to ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), which is a form of nosocomial pneumonia. A large number of complications are a direct result of generation of positive pressure inside the thorax (e.g., barotrauma and hypotension) and these will be dealt with later in this chapter.