Modes of Mechanical Ventilation Flashcards
What is the fundamental waveform of volume controlled breathing?
square wave
What is the fundamental waveform of pressure controlled ventilation?
ramp wave
What is peak inspiratory pressure (PIP or Paw)?
peak pressure in the airway as a product of airway resistance
What is plateau pressure (Pplat)?
pressure needed to distend the lung as a product of lung compliance
What occurs during the slight drop in pressure from PIP to Pplat?
air dissipates out of the lungs and causes a slight drop in pressure
What are mechanical ventilation variables?
elements of a breath that a ventilator can control during delivery of the breath
What are the two kinds of mechanical ventilation variables?
Control variables
phase variables
What is a control variable?
the primary variable that the ventilator control circuit manipulates to cause inspiration; controls the “shape” of the delivered breath
What are the 3 variables that a ventilator can control?
Pressure
Volume
Flow
Can more than one variable be directly controlled at a time?
No, can only be pressure, volume, or flow controlled
What is volume controlled ventilation?
volume and flow waveforms remain unchanged with changes in respiratory mechanics but pressure will vary
What is pressure controlled ventilation?
pressure waveform will remain unchanged with changes in respiratory system mechanics but volume and flow will vary
What are the 4 phases of a complete breath or respiratory cycle?
- start of inspiration
- inspiration itself
- ending of inspiration
- expiration
What are phase variables that control the conventional phases of the respiratory cycle?
Trigger variable
Limit (target) variable
Cycle variable
Baseline variable
What is the role of the trigger variable?
starts inspiration
What is the role of the limit (target) variable?
ensures limit is reached and maintained at preset level before inspiration ends
What is the relationship between the cycling variable and respiratory cycle?
ends inspiration and begins expiration
What is the role of the baseline variable?
ensures baseline condition controlled at end expiration, most often controls pressure at end-exhalation
What occurs with pressure as a trigger variable?
pressure drop in the circuit as a result of the patient’s attempt to inhale is sensed by the ventilator delivers a breath in response to it (patient effort required)
What occurs with flow as a trigger variable?
the flow into the circuit as a result of the patient’s attempt to inhale is sensed by the ventilator, and the ventilator delivers a breath in response to it (patient effort required)
What occurs with volume as a trigger variable?
the volume change in the circuit as a result of the patient’s attempt to inhale is sensed by the ventilator and the ventilator delivers a breath in response to it (patient effort required)
What occurs with time as a trigger variable?
the breath is triggered according to a preset frequency , and is delivered at regular intervals of time, independent of patient effort
What occurs with pressure as a limit variable?
the set upper pressure limit cannot be exceeded during inspiration (used with pressure control ventilation)
What occurs with volume as a limit variable?
the set volume cannot be exceeded during the inspiration (used with volume controlled ventilation)
What occurs with flow as a limit variable?
the flow limit cannot be exceeded during inspiration (used with volume control ventilation)
What occurs with volume as a cycling variable?
the ventilator cycles from inspiration to expiration by delivering flow until a preset volume has been delivered (e.g. volume control mode)
What happens with volume as a cycling variable when an inspiratory pause has been set?
expiration does not immediately follow the delivery of a breath and becomes time cycled rather than volume cycled
What happens when time is a cycling variable?
ventilator cycles from inspiration to expiration by delivering flow until a preset inspiratory time has elapsed (e.g.pressure control mode); related to I:E ratio
What happens when flow is the cycling variable?
when flow during inspiration falls to a certain level (typically 25% of the peak inspiratory flow), the ventilator cycles from inspiration to expiration (e.g. pressure support ventilation)
What happens when pressure is the cycling variable?
flow is provided until airway pressure reaches the set maximum airway pressure limit, the ventilator will cycle to expiration regardless of the tidal volume that has been delivered (pressure controlled ventilation)
(tidal volume and flow are dependent the pressure setting)
How is the baseline variable achieved?
Closure of the expiratory valve before lung has completely emptied
What is ZEEP?
Zero end expiratory pressure, baseline pressure set to zero relative to atmospheric pressure
What is PEEP?
positive end expiratory pressure, baseline pressure set positive relative to atmospheric pressure
What is a ventilator mode?
Refers to how the ventilator initiates a breath, how the ventilator delivers the breath, and how the breath is terminated
What are some considerations when choosing a vent mode?
Clinician familiarity
Institutional preferences
Surgery
Patient status
What are the different volume controlled modes?
Volume control ventilation (VCV)
Volume assist/control ventilation (ACV)
Intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV)
Synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV)
Synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation + pressure support ventilation (SIMV + PSV)
What are some indications for volume control?
- desire for constant tidal volume or minute ventilation (reduce atelectasis or maintain desired PaCO2)
- desire for steady-state inspiratory flow and maximum inspiratory pressure is not a concern (tidal volume and inspiratory flow are preset and fixed; airway pressure is variable and dependent on those settings and respiratory system resistance and compliance)
What is volume control ventilation?
a set tidal volume is delivered at a constant flow rate and set RR
What is the trigger, limit, cycle, and baseline for VCV?
Trigger: time
Limit: flow
Cycle: volume
Baseline: PEEP if desired