What will be your initial action if the ventilator alarms?

1. Immediately approach the ventilated patient and silence the audible alarm.

2. If the root cause for the alarm is obvious (e.g. airway disconnection) remove the root cause. After
normal mechanical ventilation resumes, the ventilated patient should be relaxed.

3. If the root cause cannot be identified or removed quickly, check the ventilated patient for signs of
severe acute respiratory distress.

4. If the patient exhibits severe respiratory distress, remove them from the ventilator immediately and
ensure continuation of adequate lung ventilation with an alternative means (e.g. a resuscitator or
another ventilator system). Then troubleshoot the ventilator offline with a test lung.

5. If you cannot quickly identify the root cause and the patient is not in severe respiratory distress,
troubleshoot the problem with caution; alarm messages often provide useful hints about the root cause.
Call for help. While troubleshooting, notice the patient’s responses. Return to step 4 if the patient’s
condition deteriorates.

Lei, Y. (2017b). Medical Ventilator System Basics: A clinical guide. Oxford Medicine Online. Published.
https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780198784975.001.0001