The postoperative period in patients who have undergone surgery, especially in the chest organs, is often accompanied by the risk of developing respiratory complications. In such cases, the use of artificial lung ventilation (ALV) plays a key role in ensuring proper oxygenation, maintaining lung function and preventing complications. The choice of high-quality ALV plays a critical role in the process of patient rehabilitation, reducing complications and accelerating the recovery of lung function.
After surgery, patients often face problems such as hypoxia, atelectasis, and impaired drainage of secretions in the airways. Ensuring adequate ventilation and oxygenation is critical for patients after surgery. The main tasks of ventilators in the postoperative period are:
Maintaining adequate gas exchange - eliminating hypoxia and hypercapnia, maintaining normal levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood
Supporting respiratory mechanics - reducing the load on the respiratory muscles and controlling the inspiratory volume
Preventing atelectasis - maintaining the proper level of positive pressure in the alveoli, which prevents their collapse.
Reducing the risk of postoperative complications - such as pneumonia and respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS or GRDS).
Individual ventilation modes - using PRVC and AutoControl algorithms for adaptive control of ventilator parameters
In addition to classic control methods, such as setting the patient's lung ventilation modes, modern ventilators are equipped with additional monitoring tools that help ensure effective gas exchange and patient safety. These tools include:
Pulse oximetry
Pulse oximetry is a method of continuously monitoring blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and pulse rate. The pulse oximetry module for mechanical ventilation allows you to:
Assess blood oxygen saturation in real time, which is critical for monitoring the patient's respiratory function.
Detect hypoxia at an early stage, ensuring timely intervention.
Monitor the effectiveness of ventilation, helping to adjust mechanical ventilation parameters according to the patient's needs.
Capnography
Capnography is a method of measuring the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in exhaled air. There are two main types of capnography:
Volume capnography - measures the volume of CO₂ in each respiratory cycle.
Sidestream capnography - measures the concentration of CO₂ directly in the air flow.
Advantages of capnography:
Detection of ventilation disorders and assessment of the effectiveness of gas exchange.
Rapid diagnosis of respiratory failure or ventilator malfunction.
Monitor patients during anesthesia or after surgery, ensuring a safe level of ventilation.
Esophageal monitoring
Esophageal monitoring involves measuring the pressure in the esophagus using a special sensor. This allows you to estimate the transpulmonary pressure, which is the difference between the alveolar and pleural pressure. Transpulmonary pressure helps:
Assess the work of the respiratory muscles, especially the diaphragm, which is key to adjusting ventilation.
Measure the compliance of the lungs and chest, which is important for understanding the elasticity of the lungs and chest, as well as to avoid damage during ventilation.
Prevent ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), reducing the risk of lung injury due to incorrect ventilator parameters.
Improve ventilator settings, providing more precise control of pressure and ventilation volume according to the patient's needs.
Mechanical ventilation of the lungs (MVL) can be carried out by two main methods depending on the patient's condition and the severity of respiratory failure: invasive and non-invasive ventilation. Each method has its own interfaces that ensure effective air delivery to the patient
Invasive ventilation is used in cases where the patient cannot independently maintain an adequate level of breathing. Invasive ventilation involves the use of interfaces that penetrate the patient's airways through surgical or anatomical access (endotracheal or tracheostomy tube).
The devices from Event Medical use the PRVC (Pressure Regulated Volume Control) mode, which automatically adapts the pressure to ensure a given breathing volume, which reduces the risk of barotrauma, and this measures and compares the compliance (resistance) of the lungs at each cycle.
Non-invasive ventilation is less aggressive and is used for patients who partially retain their own respiratory function. Non-invasive ventilation is performed using external interfaces (nasal cannulas, oral-nasal and full-face masks)
The innovative Slope Anasys Trigger algorithm, implemented in Event Medical devices, ensures provides adaptive selection of inspiratory triggers, which makes ventilation as comfortable as possible for the patient.
High-flow oxygen therapy in the postoperative period
High-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) is an effective method of maintaining respiratory function in the postoperative period, especially in patients with an increased risk of respiratory complications. HFOT delivers oxygen at a rate of up to 60 L/min with an adjustable oxygen concentration (FiO up to 100%) through a high-flow nasal cannula. High oxygen flow helps to:
Increase blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂).
Reduce the work of breathing by reducing airway resistance.
Remove carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the airways, improving gas exchange.
Provide positive airway pressure, which helps maintain alveoli open.
Benefits of high-flow oxygen therapy:
Improved oxygenation even in severe forms of respiratory failure.
Reduced dyspnea and reduced load on the respiratory muscles.
Patient comfort due to heating and humidification of oxygen.
Reduced need for invasive ventilation for some patients.
Improved CO₂ removal, which is important for patients with hypercapnia.
Modern ventilators from the American company Event Medical are equipped with technologies that adapt respiratory support to the individual needs of the patient, ensuring maximum treatment efficiency and focusing on protecting the patient's lungs.
Evolution 3e Ultra with a 15-inch screen is a new and modern high-tech ventilator that supports intelligent ventilation modes and adaptive respiratory support. Thanks to advanced algorithms for automatic parameter adjustment, this device is ideal for postoperative respiratory therapy. Focused on a protective strategy for lung ventilation.
Inspiration 7i with a 17-inch screen is a ventilator that is the optimal solution for intensive care, providing high-precision control of ventilation parameters, real-time patient monitoring and an intuitive interface for doctors.
Consequently, the effectiveness of restoring lung function largely depends on the characteristics of the ventilator used. Modern models must provide accurate dosing of ventilation parameters, flexibility in setting operating modes and the ability to adapt to the needs of the patient.
