Equipment you might see

A ventilator is a machine that helps you to breathe. Doctors will insert a tube which leads to the lungs, through either the mouth or windpipe (tracheostomy).

The tube is connected to a machine which blows air in and out of the lungs. The machine can 'breathe' completely for you or it can be programmed to support your own breathing.

The numbers on the front of a ventilator constantly change, which is normal. These tell us about the size of breaths that the ventilator delivers each time it works.

If the ventilator is breathing completely for a you, you likely be sedated. This means that you are given medicines to bring on a deep sleep, which you will wake up from when the drugs wear off. This makes it easier for the ventilator to work, and makes you more comfortable.

You will be gradually taken off the ventilator when your condition improves. We call this 'weaning'.

If you are having a tracheostomy, you will likely stay on a ventilator for more than a few days. If this happens, you will have a minor operation to have a breathing tube inserted into a hole made in the throat.

The cardiac monitor is a TV-sized screen above your bed. It measures your heart rate and blood pressure.

The machine picks up electrical impulses from the heart and can detect abnormalities, heart function and the amount of oxygen in your blood.

The display will often change and occasionally flash or sound an alarm. This will make our staff aware that they need to review your condition. 

If you need more fluids in your body, this will be given to you in the form of a drip. This allows us to administer fluids directly into your veins in your hands, feet or the side of the neck.

There are different types of fluids given through drips, including blood, medicines and re-hydration fluids.

The blood gas analysis tells us how well your lungs and heart are working. This is important if you need extra oxygen, are on a ventilator or have heart function or breathing problems

When this test is done, it will only involve taking a small amount of your blood.

These monitors tell us how well a your heart is working, and if your heart is having difficulty pumping blood around your body. 

The kidney removes waste products from the blood stream. They make sure that the balance between the water we drink and water that we pass out is maintained. When the kidney does not function properly this we use this machine to keep your kidneys working.

It removes blood from a vein through a tube (catheter), pumps it through a filter. This removes waste and excess water and returns the 'cleaned' blood back into your body.