A ventilator providing pressure support ventilation to a patient is set to flow trigger on spontaneous breaths (base flow = 10 L/min; trigger = 3 L/min below base flow). While at the bedside, you observe that the ventilator trigger rate is much higher than the patient's spontaneous rate, causing noticeable patient discomfort. Which of the following could be causing this problem?
I.circuit leaks
II.inadequate base flow
III.circuit movement

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Option I (circuit leaks) and III (circuit movement) could be causing the ventilator to sense a false flow, leading it to interpret as spontaneous breaths from the patient, resulting in high trigger rate, and causing patient discomfort. Inadequate base flow (Option II) could increase the time to reach the set flow threshold and lead to ineffective triggering, but it wouldn't increase the trigger rate.

A Ventilator Providing Pressure Support Ventilation to a Patient Is