Breathing is Good

Day 44, 1030 grams.

Pretty good day today. Oxygen well below 30%. Pressures are down. Weight is up. Filled my diaper with some vile yellow goo. Good times, good times.

A lot of people ask me, "Hey Baby Andrej, I don't get what all this ventilator business is all about." Well to answer this in part I present to you:

Andrej's Lay-Baby Guide to Understanding the Ventilator

First off, here is a great explanation of mechanical ventilation. Now that that has thoroughly confused you, here are the four stats we monitor the most:

• breaths per minute (bpm)
• fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂)
• inspired (inhaled) pressure (Pinsp)
• exhaling pressure or Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP)

For example, I am right now at 45bpm, 23-27% oxygen with a pressure of 15cmH2O over 5cmH20 (cmH2O is a measure of pressure which I don't fully understand!). Ideally my oxygen should get as close to 21%, which is the concentration of oxygen in room air. The machine is giving me 45 breaths per minute, but the more the pressures come down, the more I can set my own rate. Of course, the whole point of breathing is to provide oxygen to the brain. The efficiency at which I process oxygen into my blood is essential, so they constantly monitor my Oxygen Saturation percentage. For me an ideal percentage is around 85% to 94%--any higher or lower for extended periods of time can cause damage. Sometimes, when I move around, have a fit or fill my pants I start to de-saturate, or "desat," and the nurses or respiratory therapists need to boost my FiO2 until I get back to my ideal levels, or "Happy Zone," which is a medical term invented by Mommy.

So I hope that helps to clear up some questions!

AOV