Jeff...I agree with Dave that is dangerous to be on the vent when no one is there...as Gary can breathe off the vent ...but if only part of the hose becomes unattached it would be like breathing through a garden hose..he'd only have minutes to live..
However, due to the risk of mucous plugs off the vent I never leave him alone.. not that the risk is higher but if I was gone I could hear no alarms or see any distress.. I'll walk out of the room but not the house...a collapsed lung is not an issue however from coming off the vent if one has their own respiratory drive...as collapsed lungs or pneumothoraxes ( partially collapsed lungs) are caused by too much positive pressure or blunt force trauma...atelectasis could be possible however if one stays off the vent too long...but we've had no problems with that as x-rays can detect it..atelectasis has not occured since he has been ventilated even with the time off of the vent .....
His doctors actually considered taking him off the vent to treat a pnuemothorax before putting a chest tiube in..as normal breathing is negative pressure as oppossed to the positive pressure that all ventilators are based on ...but said if he could not breathe for 24 hours ..it could not resolve on its own ..most PALS will never have to have a chest tube...it is only caused if too much positive pressure occurs...if it does occur a chest tube comes out in 3-5 days...
Lisa