Mechanical ventilation refers to the application of devices that assist or fully take over the respiratory function in patients who exhibit inadequate spontaneous breathing. Not to be confused with supplemental oxygen therapy, which solely enhances oxygen delivery, mechanical ventilation actively manages the respiratory mechanics. This intervention is critical in emergency medical services (EMS) and is often employed during advanced life support scenarios, particularly in the context of the Incident Command System (ICS). In EMS contexts, it is commonly framed alongside structured communication and triage concepts such as START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) or SALT (Sort, Assess, Lifesaving interventions, Treatment/Transport) as shared terminology.
Category context: Patient care, assessment, interventions, triage, and EMS system terms commonly used by firefighter/medics.