Final answer:
Intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV) is the mode of mechanical ventilation that allows patient-triggered or time-triggered breaths, enabling spontaneous breathing between mandatory breaths.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ventilator mode that is either patient-triggered or time-triggered, allowing the patient to breathe spontaneously between mandatory ventilator breaths, is known as Intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV). In this mode, the ventilator delivers a set number of breaths at a preset volume or pressure, but the patient can also take spontaneous breaths with their effort in between these ventilator-delivered breaths. This method is particularly useful in the weaning process from mechanical ventilation, as it allows the patient to exercise their respiratory muscles and gradually take over more of the breathing work.