Airway humidification during mechanical ventilation

Humidification by artificial means must be provided when the upper airway is bypassed during mechanical ventilation.Enough humidification is very important during mechanical ventilation.Heated humidification(HH) and heat and moisture exchanger(HME) are the most commonly used types of artificial humidification in this situation.In this article, their advantages and disadvantages are introduced.HH and HME are compared in humidification performance, effect on ventilator mechanics and association with ventilation associated pneumonia.Depending on the clinical scenario, humidifier is reasonably selected, and the selection may change over time according the treatment effect.\r\n\r\n\r\nKey words: \r\nMechanical ventilation; Humidification; Heated humidifier; Heat and moisture exchanger