Date of Graduation

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Nursing

Advisor/Mentor

Murray, Lori

Committee Member/Reader

Peters, Brandi

Abstract

Mechanical ventilation is a machine that that allows patients to breathe when they are unable to adequately do it themselves. This could be due to illness or injury. Ventilators pump oxygen into the lungs through a tube that travels through the trachea. When a patient is put on a ventilator, they will be placed in the Intensive Care Unit. While ventilation is typically a short-term intervention, some patients require ventilation for extended periods of time, and some may not come off the ventilator, eventually dying. Dozens of patients were ventilated in the ICU at Mercy, and most of them spent months on the ventilators or unfortunately, died. A review of research was conducted on the comorbidities and predisposing risk factors of what increases the risk of long-term ventilation, or not coming off the ventilator at all. Studies conducted of these risk factors focused on the populations that have been affected the most. The majority of the research articles performed retrospective research in order to observe the mortality rates of the comorbidities. Each study focused on a different comorbidity. Some studies were performed in other countries and were included in this study because Covid-19 effected all parts of the world. However, not all of the studies are related to Covid-19, and solely focused on ventilator patients in general.

Keywords

Ventilation; Comorbidities; Covid-19; Mechanical Ventilation

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