A new study shows how the way mechanical ventilation is given affects the sleep of critically ill people.

It's known that patients in the intensive care unit often have fragmented sleep, which could exacerbate their health problems. This is probably because they develop apnoea - a condition where breathing ceases temporarily many times in the night.

The study shows how sleep is affected by the mode of mechanical ventilation. In one mode, known as pressure support, sleep is more likely to be fragmented. But another mode, known as assist control, proved less likely to cause such problems. It may be that choice of the mode of ventilation turns out to be crucial to the outcome of patients in the intensive care unit.

Source

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine December 2002