Mechanical Ventilation in ICU: Enhancing Clinicians’ Skills and Knowledge

Mechanical ventilation is a crucial aspect of intensive care unit (ICU) management. However, it requires a deep understanding of physiological principles and technological advancements to optimize patient-ventilator interaction and liberation. This comprehensive program aims to enhance ICU clinicians’ understanding of the fundamentals of mechanical ventilation, conventional and novel invasive and non-invasive techniques, and evidence-based management of specific clinical problems in mechanically ventilated patients.

Objectives

• Explain and assess basic physiological aspects of patient-ventilator interaction, including respiratory mechanics, respiratory muscle activity and function, patient-ventilator synchrony, and ventilator-induced lung and respiratory muscle injury.
• Determine why and when mechanical ventilation can be a treatment, a supportive therapy, or a source of complications.
• Describe the optimal approach to liberating patients from mechanical ventilation and conduct a comprehensive clinical assessment to identify and treat causes of difficult ventilator weaning.
• Deliver evidence-based management of acute respiratory failure using both non-invasive and invasive ventilatory techniques for conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and weaning from mechanical ventilation.

Course Content

Respiratory Mechanics: What to Measure and Why

Understand the importance of respiratory mechanics in mechanical ventilation, including case discussions on managing refractory hypoxemia and extracorporeal life support (ECLS).

Lung Protective Ventilation Strategies

Learn about prone positioning and inhaled pulmonary vasodilators, and how to optimize PEEP and lung recruitment. Explore case discussions on spontaneous breathing, managing acute brain injury, and heart-lung interactions.

Conventional and Advanced Modes of Ventilation

Discover the benefits and limitations of high-flow nasal cannula and non-invasive ventilation, and how to assess and manage the difficult-to-liberate patient.

Oxygen Setting and Transporting Mechanically Ventilated Patients

Understand the importance of oxygen setting and how it affects patient outcomes. Learn strategies for transporting mechanically ventilated patients safely and efficiently.

Sedation and Delirium Management in Ventilated Patients

Explore evidence-based sedation and delirium management strategies in ventilated patients, and how to improve mechanical ventilation quality.

Mobilizing Ventilated Patients and Enhancing Quality of Care

Participate in panel discussions on mobilizing ventilated patients and enhancing quality of care for ventilated patients, and learn strategies to improve patient outcomes.