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Ventilation |
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 Decisions
about ventilators
Ventilators push air and oxygen into the lungs and often save lives.
Even so, people with very serious disease may prefer not to have a
ventilator or to have one removed. Reasons not to use a ventilator
include:
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Ventilators may interfere with your ability to
speak and swallow. |
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Ventilators do not reverse the disease. |
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Ventilators are uncomfortable. |
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If you are very sick, you may not be able to recover
enough to come off the ventilator. |
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You may require extra sedation. |
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You may need many blood tests and X rays to monitor
your condition. |
These are all things to consider when deciding whether or not to try
a ventilator. For one or two weeks, a ventilator can be hooked up
through your nose or mouth. For a longer period, you would need a
tracheostomy (a hole in your throat) to insert the tube.
Ask your doctor how comfortable he or she is in removing the ventilator.
Can your doctor keep you comfortable as the ventilator is removed?
Does your doctor have experience with sedatives, so you won't ever
feel short of breath? Can you go home or stay at home? Be sure your
doctor will do what you want.
As with other decisions you will make at the end of life, this one
is complex because of the emotional issues raised by stopping
a ventilator. Nevertheless, you can choose to forgo all use or
to have a time-limited trial with
a planned withdrawal. |
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Adapted from The
Handbook for Mortals: Guidance for People Facing Serious Illness,
by Joanne Lynn and Joan Harrold, copyright by Joanne Lynn, used by
permission of Oxford University Press.
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