Essentials of Mechanical Ventilation, Fourth Edition - Paperback

by Dean R. Hess (Author), Robert M. Kacmarek (Author)

The acclaimed application-based guide to adult mechanical ventilation --- updated to reflect the latest topics and practice guidelines

A Doody's Core Title for 2021, 2022 & 2026!

This practical guide is written from the perspective of authors who have nearly 100 years' experience as clinicians, educators, researchers, and authors. Unlike other references on the topic, this resource is about mechanical ventilation rather than mechanical ventilators. It is written to provide a solid understanding of the general principles and essential foundational knowledge of mechanical ventilation as required by respiratory therapists and critical care physicians. To make it clinically relevant, Essentials of Mechanical Ventilation includes disease-specific chapters related to mechanical ventilation in these conditions.

The Fourth Edition has been carefully updated throughout. New content includes coverage of mechanical ventilation of the obese patient and advanced monitoring procedures. Concepts such as driving pressure are included, and the content has been checked against the most recently published clinical practice guidelines.

Essentials of Mechanical Ventilation, Fourth Edition is divided into four parts:

Part One, Principles of Mechanical Ventilation describes basic principles of mechanical ventilation and then continues with issues such as indications for mechanical ventilation, appropriate physiologic goals, and ventilator liberation.

Part Two, Ventilator Management, gives practical advice for ventilating patients with a variety of diseases.

Part Three, Monitoring During Mechanical Ventilation, discusses blood gases, hemodynamics, mechanics, and waveforms.

Part Four, Topics in Mechanical Ventilation, covers issues such as airway management, aerosol delivery, and extracorporeal life support.

Author Biography

Dean R. Hess, PhD, RRT is Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, and Assistant Director of Respiratory Care Services at Massachusetts General Hospital.


Robert M. Kacmarak, PhD, RRT is Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, and Director of Respiratory Care Services at Massachusetts General Hospital.