In critical patient care units there are many systems that aid, complement or replace the functions that a patient is unable to carry out by him or herself. Mechanical ventilation and all of its basic control elements, especially alarms, comprise a system that aims to ensure the patient safety, while also helping the professional who is caring for patients using this system.
The correct interpretation of monitored alarms, the good use of all of the resources offered by the respirator and an appropriate nursing intervention after confirming why the alarms went off are key tools in the reestablishment and correct operation of the system (patient, interphase, respirator).
This article aims to address the issues that may present in the management of respirator alarms for pressure, volume and frequency, list the most frequent causes of their activation and describe the appropriate nursing interventions in each situation.