When a person can no longer breathe properly on their own due to shortness of breath or lack of oxygen, a ventilator can take over breathing. Patients are then ventilated through a tube placed in the trachea. This is done in the intensive care unit and is called invasive ventilation.

This Divi explains what ventilation is and how a patient is put on a ventilator. When the patient has sufficiently recovered or healed from the underlying condition, ventilation can be stopped. In this Divi, the patient is also explained how stopping ventilation works.