What are Respiratory Masks?
Masks attached to a patient’s nose or mouth help supply positive pressure ventilatory support to the airways. CPAP can be supplied by attaching a mask to a conventional intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator or by using a simpler device designed solely for this purpose. This will raise functional residual capacity (which may reduce the inspiratory work to breathe in some disease states), and it can also be used to “splint open” collapsing/obstructed upper airways in disease states such as obstructive sleep apnea. BIPAP can also be supplied by attaching a mask to a conventional ICU ventilator and generally using a time cycled, pressure targeted mode (pressure assist control). The flow cycled, pressure targeted mode, pressure support, is not appropriate under these circumstances because mask leak may disrupt the ICU ventilator breath cycling algorithm. Simpler ventilators designed solely for mask application generally also supply pressure assist control. These devices often also provide pr
