Monitoring of invasive mechanical ventilation

Invasive mechanical ventilation allows total or partial respiratory support and restores adequate blood gas exchanges. This complex technique needs specific knowledge to improve management. The objectives of monitoring mechanical ventilation include prevention and early detection of complications, decrease in mechanical ventilation duration, and improvement of patient's comfort. Nurses are particularly involved in the evaluation of the efficiency of mechanical ventilation and the detection of its complications. In this article, we propose an update on the monitoring of the patient under invasive mechanical ventilation based on clinical examination, information from the ventilator, alarms management, and patient-ventilator interaction.