Saturday, October 13, 2007 - CPAP Information

To describe what CPAP is, first I will explain the four biggest things that the ventilator does.

1) Provides oxygen
2) Rate – The number of breaths given that the baby has to take. (Note: The baby can take extra breaths on her own.)
3) PIP – Peak Inspiratory Pressure which is how much pressure is given to inflate the lung
4) PEEP – Positive End Expiratory Pressure which is how much pressure is applied at the end of expiration. It is basically used to keep the lung partially inflated at all times.

So, when Olivia has a vent setting of 17/5 with a rate of 18: Her PIP is 17, her PEEP is 5 and the ventilator is giving her 18 breaths per minute. When she goes to CPAP, she is no longer given any extra breaths and gets only the PEEP without the PIP, along with oxygen. Instead of a breathing tube down her throat, she will have small tubes that fit through the nostrils. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. When the ventilator setting is 16/4 with a rate of 10, it is usually no longer beneficial to be on the ventilator. I sure hope I have explained everything correctly.

If there are any nurses reading this, feel free to add anything that I left out or described incorrectly