Comparison

iCU Notes vs Mechanical Ventilation Expert

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iCU Notes

A comprehensive pocket guide for critical care professionals, offering quick access to essential concepts, algorithms, and management strategies. Features include detailed modules, smart search, and evidence-based recommendations.

Highlights
  • 11 modules on critical care concepts
  • Alphabetized and smart search functionality
  • Over 80 color illustrations
  • 30+ clinical ICU guideline overviews
  • 18 emergency algorithms
  • Differential diagnoses and management strategies
  • Evidence-based recommendations
Features
Read full description

iCU Notes is a critical care handbook aimed at all clinicians, nursing staff and allied health professionals who work in critical care, as well as those working on acute medical and surgical wards.
 It is designed to be used as a pocket guide to improve knowledge and understanding of critical care concepts. 
Key features :
 *11 modules covering theoretical and practical aspects of general and emergency critical care *Content alphabetised for ease of use *Concise, find-it-fast format with additional smart search function to speed information finding *Over 80 colour illustrations to clarify monitoring and therapeutic techniques in critical care 
*Over 30 compact clinical ICU guideline overviews *18 emergency algorithms including ALS, obstetric, sepsis and difficult airway (DAS) algorithms *A complete section on differential diagnoses in critical care including organ support alarms
 *A complete section on current management strategies in critical care as well as additional modules on microbiology and critical care pharmacology *Evidence based recommendations by the ESICM included in red text within appropriate subsections
 *Summaries of important papers published in hi impact factor journals over the last 7 years *A list of educational online resources that can be accessed directly from within the app *More modules planned in the future to eventually cover all clinical and non-clinical aspects of critical care *It's completely free ! 
Module Content  BASIC CRITICAL CARE MODULE Covers all basic principles of critical care, including: Assessment of the critically ill patient Basic CNS Pathophysiology Neuromonitoring Basic Cardiovascular Physiology Fluids, Inotropes and Vasopressors Cardiovascular Monitoring Acute Liver Failure Nutrition Sepsis Acute Renal Failure and Renal Replacement Therapy Basic Respiratory support and monitoring MANAGEMENT and TREATMENT ALGORITHMS MODULE CNS: Meningitis, GBS, Encephalopathy - Septic / Hepatic, SAH, Critical Care Neuromyopathy, Myasthenia Gravis CVS: Persistent sinus tachycardia, AF, LVF, Bradycardia, Shock, SBE, RVF , Hypotension, Diastolic Dysfunction, Cardiac Arrest, Hypertensive Crises DRUGS and TOXINS: Opiate infusion withdrawal, Poisoning, Cocaine, ETOH, Isopropyl Alcohol ENDOCRINE: DKA, Hyponatraemia, Hypothyroidism, HHS, Addison's Disease, Diabetes Insipidus GIT: GI Bleed, Nutrition, TPN and EN, Re-feeding syndrome, Abdominal Compartment Syndrome HAEM: DIC, HIT, Jehovah's Witness,  Bleeding , Coagulopathy of Trauma, Sickle cell disease  INFECTION: Care Bundles, Malaria, Necrotising Fasciitis, Severe Sepsis, Ventilator Associated Pneumonia, Pyrexia on ITU OBSTETRICS: Eclampsia, PPH, HELLP, Pre-eclampsia RENAL: ARF, Drug handling in renal failure, Metabolic Acidosis, Haemofiltration, Haemodialysis, Complications of CRF RS: Ventilator Modes, Tracheostomy, Weaning, ARDS, Bronchopulmonary  fistula, COPD/Asthma, CAP, Bronchiectasis, Lobar Collapse, Pneumothorax, PE, Upper Airway Obstruction, VAP, Pleural Effusion, Haemoptysis TRAUMA: Rhabdomyolysis, Extremity Injury, Chest Trauma, Pulseless limb, Pelvic Trauma, TBI, Spinal Cord Injury, Burns, Blast Injuries, Abdominal Trauma, Neck trauma VASCULITIS: SLE, Wegener's Granulomatosis EMERGENCIES MODULE Covers ALS, DAS Obstetric and Sepsis management guidelines and algorithms CAUSES and DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSES MODULE Over 180 lists of causes and differential diagnoses covering common conditions seen on the ICU and grouped under the following headings : Organ systems Biochemistry Organ support alarms Infection (inc. HIV) Trauma New Modules: MICROBIOLOGY MODULE Covering the most important organisms associated with critical care admissions, within the following genii: Bacteria Fungi Viruses FORMULARY MODULE Covers the class, mode of action, route and dose of administration, excretion, indications, side effects and major contraindications of the drugs most frequently used in critical care Author: Murali Thavasothy Developer: Dal Sandhu

About

Mechanical Ventilation Expert

This medical app assists intensive care physicians in managing patients with acute respiratory failure. It provides advice on mechanical ventilation parameters and helps determine optimal respiratory support methods based on research findings.

Highlights
  • Mechanical ventilation parameter correction
  • Respiratory support method selection
  • Non-invasive oxygenation index estimation
  • Guidance on invasive and non-invasive ventilation
  • Educational tool for physicians
  • Based on multicenter research
Features
Read full description

Caution! This app is intended for intensive care physicians. If you are NOT a physician and would like to use it anyway, please consult your physician before using this app or making any medical decisions. This app has endorsement for usage in the Russian Federation. Many doctors deal with the treatment of patients with varying degrees of acute respiratory failure (ARF). But the choice of the optimal method and, especially, the timely correction of the parameters of invasive and non-invasive mechanical lung ventilation often cause difficulties, especially for young doctors. Unfortunately, expensive ventilation machines, without their skillful use, are not a guarantee of an improvement in the mortality rate in ARF. This has been especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In international clinical practice, it is customary to determine the degree of ARF by the oxygenation index (the ratio of the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) to the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2)). This indicator is also included in most "severity of illness" scoring systems (SOFA, APACHE II-III, etc.). However PaO2 estimation is only possible after collecting the arterial blood for laboratory monitoring of blood gases, making it costly and invasive. In 2020-2021 a multicenter research was carried out at five clinical hospitals in Volgograd, Russia, which included 1038 patients with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome against the background of viral (COVID-19) and bacterial pneumonia. The goals of the research were firstly, to develop a non-invasive method for determining the oxygenation index (PaO2 / FiO2) based on oxygen saturation (SpO2), and secondly, to define general criteria for correcting the parameters of invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation. This application is based on the results of the research. The relationship between SpO2 and PaO2 index values was determined for various FiO2 and types of respiratory support. The app also implements the general principle of oxygen therapy - from less to more invasive. The app allows the user not only to choose the most effective method of respiratory support, but also timely learn about the need for its correction. Every clinician knows that the mortality rate in patients with ARF is greatly influenced by the validity of the beginning and end of Invasive Mechanical Ventilation treatment - and this app solves this problem. The educational effect of this app should also be noted. It will help doctors to quickly master and more competently use expensive ventilation machines, which, of course, will have a beneficial effect on the results of treatment of patients with ARF. The following sources were used to create the app: 1. Brown SM, Grissom CK, Moss M, Rice TW, Schoenfeld D, Hou PC, Thompson BT, Brower RG; NIH/NHLBI PETAL Network Collaborators. Nonlinear Imputation of Pao2/Fio2 From Spo2/Fio2 Among Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Chest. 2016 Aug;150(2):307-13. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2016.01.003. Epub 2016 Jan 19. PMID: 26836924; PMCID: PMC4980543. 2. Bilan N, Dastranji A, Ghalehgolab Behbahani A. Comparison of the spo2/fio2 ratio and the pao2/fio2 ratio in patients with acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome. J Cardiovasc Thorac Res. 2015;7(1):28-31. doi: 10.15171/jcvtr.2014.06. Epub 2015 Mar 29. PMID: 25859313; PMCID: PMC4378672. 3. Yoshida T, Takegawa R, Ogura H. [Ventilatory strategy for ARDS]. Nihon Rinsho. 2016 Feb;74(2):279-84. Japanese. PMID: 26915253. 4. Fan E, Brodie D, Slutsky AS. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment. JAMA. 2018 Feb 20;319(7):698-710. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.21907. PMID: 29466596. 5. Петров, В. И. Эволюция клинико-фармакологических и терапевтических принципов лечения инфекции COVID-19 / Петров В. И. [и др. ]. - Москва : ГЭОТАР-Медиа, 2021. - 312 с. - DOI: 10.33029/9704-6386-4-ECPC-2021-1-312. - ISBN 978-5-9704-6386-4.

Screenshots

iCU Notes3 screens
Mechanical Ventilation Expert3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iCU Notes at 100% against Mechanical Ventilation Expert's 33%. iCU Notes also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.9) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). Mechanical Ventilation Expert's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 10 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iCU Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of iCU Notes's written reviews are positive against 33% of Mechanical Ventilation Expert's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iCU Notes ships an update every 10 months, Mechanical Ventilation Expert every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
iCU Notes versus Mechanical Ventilation Expert: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriCU NotesMechanical Ventilation Expert
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (12 ratings) — better1.9 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB1 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperDocNotes LtdValeriy Streltsov

Customer experience

iCU Notes

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mechanical Ventilation Expert

All ratings7 ratings
Positive14.3%
Neutral14.3%
Negative71.4%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

iCU Notes

No in-app purchases

None

Mechanical Ventilation Expert

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iCU Notes free?
iCU Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mechanical Ventilation Expert free?
Mechanical Ventilation Expert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iCU Notes or Mechanical Ventilation Expert?
iCU Notes is rated higher. iCU Notes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Mechanical Ventilation Expert averages 1.9 from 7 ratings.
Do iCU Notes or Mechanical Ventilation Expert have ads?
Neither iCU Notes nor Mechanical Ventilation Expert shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iCU Notes or Mechanical Ventilation Expert?
iCU Notes ships an update every 10 months, and Mechanical Ventilation Expert every 2 weeks. Most recently, iCU Notes was updated on September 17, 2026 and Mechanical Ventilation Expert on October 3, 2026.

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