Anniversary in French Lick

Monday, January 4, 2010

New Vent Settings

It's Monday evening, and Eric has had a fairly stable day. He's completely off of the paralytic and is breathing fine. I've since learned that his current ventilator setting has a new number for all of us to watch before he can been weened off the ventilator. Since he's on a mode that stimulates breaths by applying a set pressure, we have to be able to reduce the pressure he is at. So currently his ventilator settings are:

O2: 45%
PEEP: 5 cm H2O
Respiration Rate: 36 breaths/min
PC above PEEP: 40 cm H2O (This is the new one and is the pressure required over the PEEP to make him take a breath.)

His PC above PEEP is fairly high, which is why some swelling has occurred. Once he becomes stable at an oxygen level of 40% or maybe even 45%, they'll start trying to reduce this number. Eventually, they'll be able to switch the mode on the ventilator so that he'll be in control of his own breathing pressures, volumes and rate.

Melissa

3 comments:

  1. That is wonderful news Melissa! We look forward to more good news daily. We send our love and prayers to all of you....Love, Annette Yoder

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  2. Melissa,

    I think about you guys every day. I can't wait for the time when Eric can visit with all of us in Waterloo.

    Sharon Ebersohl

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