Respirator

Respirator, machine that aids the respiratory process in human beings, especially in extreme circumstances when a patient has difficulty breathing normally or if breathing stops altogether. Some respirators administer oxygen directly to the patient. Hospitals, mobile medical units, and other treatment facilities constantly monitor respirators to ensure proper breathing in patients hooked up to them. Portable respirators, attended by qualified personnel, may be used in a patient's home or room in an extended-care facility (nursing home). Positive-pressure respirators force or assist the flow of air into the lungs. Negative-pressure types, such as the “iron lung,” create a vacuum that causes the chest to expand, thus inhaling air.