Respiratory Medicine
A core competency of the Swiss Paraplegic Centre
An interdisciplinary team of specialists from the fields of intensive care, pneumology, rehabilitation, speech therapy, nutritional therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy helps patients with and without spinal cord injuries to gradually wean themselves off mechanical ventilation.
Weaning therapy is performed on mechanically ventilated patients in both the Intensive Care Unit and the general ward. When mechanical ventilation is required at home, we deploy an expert team to help set up the ventilators, as well as “flying nurses” to supervise the patients.
What does 'weaning' (or 'ventilator weaning') mean specifically?
The process of ventilator weaning represents a challenge for most patients. Protracted periods of ventilation in intensive care units, long-term ventilation in general, and at-home ventilation therapies are on the rise in Switzerland and the entire Western world. These therapies require professional expertise with relevant specialised resources.
A well-coordinated, interdisciplinary respiratory rehabilitation team is available for this purpose around the clock. The focus is on the treatment, care, counselling and training of patients and those around them, which means individual aftercare from the acute phase to after the inpatient stay.
The complex respiratory management is part of daily living for patients. This includes ventilation (mechanical or with respiratory assist devices), weaning, set-up of at-home ventilation and cannulae management.
Why is ventilation needed in spinal cord injury?
Why is ventilation ne
The diaphragm is often injured in upper spine injuries (i.e. damage from the fourth cervical vertebra upwards). The diaphragm is the most important respiratory muscle. If its function is impaired, the person living with spinal cord injury requires long-term ventilation. If the spine injury is lower, respiratory function is often partially impaired. The reason is that intercostal muscles, neck, abdominal and pelvic floor muscles are involved in breathing as well. Temporary ventilation is unavoidable here, too
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