Emergency physicians (EPs) are experts in emergent airway management and thus must be confident managing mechanical ventilation. Hospital-wide bed shortages mean that EPs will be managing admitted patients for longer periods of time, and if you work in a hospital without intensivist coverage you must be the ventilator expert. A recent study suggests implementing a ventilator protocol in the emergency department can improve mortality in patients started on mechanical ventilation. This supports the idea that early and appropriate ventilator management can save lives. In the first of this two part series we will discuss management of the ventilator and the intubated patient.

Read More