Review of Mechanical Ventilation for Critical Care

Overview

When physiotherapists provide care in intensive care units, mechanical ventilation and other forms of non-invasive ventilation are common.

For many physiotherapists, working with patients who are mechanically ventilated can be concerning, especially for new graduates or those who work in the intensive care unit casually.

The type of invasive or non-invasive ventilation can significantly impact the ability to provide physiotherapy treatment and a working knowledge of mechanical ventilation is essential to ensure the appropriate therapy is initiated.

This course is brought to you by The Cardiorespiratory Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. You can find the follow-up to this course here.

Relevance to Physiotherapy Practice

As evidence supporting the early mobilization of patients with critical illnesses continues to emerge, critical care physiotherapists are required to provide treatment in conjunction with mechanical ventilation. Having an understanding of the modes and settings of mechanical ventilators and non-invasive ventilation, weaning strategies, risks/benefits of mechanical ventilation, and the role of physiotherapy is necessary to provide safe and effective care.

Target Audience

The information presented in this teleconference applies to both entry-level physiotherapists as well as experienced physiotherapists working in critical care areas. It is also applicable to physiotherapists who provide weekend service in the intensive care unit.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this online physiotherapy course participants will be able to:

1. Differentiate between and understand the various modes/settings/adjuncts of mechanical ventilation
2. Understand the types of ventilator adjuncts
3. Summarize the weaning process and the risks/benefits of both endotracheal intubation and tracheostomy.
4. Identify non-invasive forms of ventilation commonly used in critical care environments

Presenter Bio: Anastasia Newman

Anastasia Newman completed both her Bachelor of Kinesiology and Master of Physiotherapy at McMaster University in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Since graduating in 2006, she has worked as a critical care physiotherapist in both the cardiac surgery and neurotrauma intensive care units at Hamilton General Hospital.

Anastasia also holds an Assistant Professorship with the McMaster School of Physiotherapy. In 2009, she returned to McMaster and completed her thesis-based Master of Rehabilitation Science in 2011 and began her Ph.D. in May 2014, which involved investigating the role of physiotherapy and early mobilization in the management of patients with critical illnesses. Anastasia has been a member of the Cardiorespiratory Division executive since 2014 and has assisted with both course development (Cardiorespiratory Foundations) and instruction over the past three years.