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

Linda Lisa,
I thought you were limiting your computer time more carefully now? You're on as much as I am, or more! LoL

I don't breathe deep enough to fully expand my lung. Thus doc said it could collapse. I don't know all those big fancy words you use but what the dr said makes more sense to me.

Hi Dave..
I think your refering to atelecatsis...a collapsing of tiny air sacs in the lungs ...not a collapsing of a lung itself ...atelectasis and pneumothoraxes are treated oppossitely...atelecatsis is treated with ventilation of positive pressure and an increase of Peep..where as a pnuemothorax or a partially collapsed lung is often treated with the negative pressure of a person breathing on their own ( as all vents, c-paps and bipaps are positive pressure) and by reducing peep..for full time or almost full-time ventilated PALS a chest tube is the only way to resolve a pneumothorax..as they can not breathe long enough to resolve them on their own.....
Of all the problems Gary has had since venting ..although atelectasis was once feared by docs when coming off the vent due to his low tidal volumes .it is easily seen on x-ray and has never been found..so he is still encouraged by his docs based on his last vent bypass parameters and chest x-rays to continue coming off...
Most PALS who are told they can come off a vent safely are given weaning trials ..to see how long they can bypass a vent..their stats are monitored contunously in a hospital setting ...docs typically order chest x-rays to insure atelectasis does not occur..before a recommendation is made for coming off the vent at home....I wouldn't however encourage PALS to come off a vent if your doc does not recommend it...Lisa

Thanks Dave, Lisa & other members for your opinions and experiences regarding the vent. I hope members like myself will go into the vent no vent scenario with greater confidence.

Jeff