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Troubleshooting Common Ventilator and Related Equipment Issues in the Home

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Caring for the Ventilator Dependent Child

Part of the book series: Respiratory Medicine ((RM))

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Abstract

The population of children requiring home mechanical ventilation continues to grow with improved medical care and technology. These children usually thrive best in their home environment and have a better quality of life outside of the hospital setting. The introduction of portable ventilator equipment in the 1980s allowed these children to discharge home.

The extensive variety of diagnoses of ventilator-dependent children has created an extremely complex group of medically fragile individuals placing them at high risk for serious illness and death. Proper equipment function and appropriate alarm settings are vital in ensuring the safety of these children to remain at home. While nuisance alarms can be bothersome and frustrating, it is never acceptable to disable an alarm setting. The root cause of the alarm should be investigated and corrected to avoid any potential adverse outcomes.

The ventilator itself is only one aspect in managing the care of this challenging group of children. Humidification, monitoring equipment, oxygen, and emergency preparedness are other devices and concepts in which education must be provided to discharge home. Caregivers must be properly trained and demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary to safely care for these complex children at home. More research is needed to standardize and improve the quality of care for ventilator-dependent children.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Tammy Hall RRT and Michelle Mantuano RRT for sharing their expertise in caring for ventilator-dependent children at home.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Respiratory Care Services, Pulmonary Medicine Section, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Way, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA

    Denise Willis B.S., R.R.T-.N.P.S.

  2. Respiratory Care Discharge Planner, Respiratory Care Services, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock, AR, USA

    Sherry L. Barnhart R.R.T-.N.P.S., F.A.A.R.C.

Authors
  1. Denise Willis B.S., R.R.T-.N.P.S.
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  2. Sherry L. Barnhart R.R.T-.N.P.S., F.A.A.R.C.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Denise Willis B.S., R.R.T-.N.P.S. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Eudowood Division of Pediatric Respiratory Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, BALTIMORE, Maryland, USA

    Laura M. Sterni

  2. Division of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

    John L. Carroll

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Willis, D., Barnhart, S.L. (2016). Troubleshooting Common Ventilator and Related Equipment Issues in the Home. In: Sterni, L., Carroll, J. (eds) Caring for the Ventilator Dependent Child. Respiratory Medicine. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3749-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3749-3_10

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-3747-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-3749-3

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