Question

A 45-year old male is receiving mechanical ventilation on the following settings:

Mode Assist/control Mandatory rate 16
Tidal volume 550 mL
FIO2 0.60
Pressure limit 60 cm H2O
PEEP 8 cm H2O
I:E 1:1.5
The patient is developing autoPEEP. The respiratory therapist should do which of the following?
A. Discontinue PEEP
B. Decrease PEEP to 5 cm H2O
C. Set PEEP to match the Auto PEEP value
D. Increase inspiratory flow rate

Answer 1

The respiratory therapist should set the PEEP to match the Auto PEEP value.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this case, the patient is developing autoPEEP, which refers to the presence of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) at the end of expiration. To address this, the respiratory therapist should set the PEEP to match the Auto PEEP value (option C). This helps to prevent the occurrence of autoPEEP and ensure effective ventilation for the patient.