Ventillators - how is it determined how long people stay on them?

[MonkeyMooning]

Trigger Warning

Some people are on a ventilator for months, yet others die on ventilation within days - is this doctors turning off the ventilators or something else?

It’ll depend on the patient and their various test results. If they’re on high settings with poor blood gas results that are worsening, if they’re breathing on their own, how are their infection markers etc etc. There are lot’s of factors at play. Doctors don’t just rock up and decide to turn off the ventilator.

I'm no medical expert, but I would think that somebody dying within days would likely have complications/organ failure etc. I don't think doctors would go to the trouble of ventilating in the first place if they were going to turn it off within days.

Patients are ventilated even if their chances are low in some circumstances, i’ve had patients ventilated who die that same day but they still try if there’s even a small chance it’ll help.

@CrochetToTheMoon thank you - can i ask another question - i've been ventilated before (several times, non covid), would that impact the time I was allowed to be ventilated if I did catch covid or do previous ventilations not really affect anything?

thanks everyone for the responses.

I think they just die? Rather than someone switching it off. Not an expert though.

In my experience no, previous times wouldn’t affect your chances of being ventilated again

They will look at your medical situation at the time you needed ventilation, not previous times.

Thank you everyone! That's helped me get out of the rabbit hole of bad thoughts!