Question

What is the pneumonic to remember ventilator alarms?

1) PEEP
2) High pressure limit
3) Low pressure limit
4) Apnea alarm

Answer 1

The mnemonic for ventilator alarms includes PEEP, high pressure limit, low pressure limit, and apnea alarm, which is important for clinicians to monitor to ensure proper mechanical ventilation and patient safety.

Step-by-step explanation:

A mnemonic to remember ventilator alarms is composed of the parameters that are monitored: 1) PEEP (Positive End-Expiratory Pressure), 2) High pressure limit, 3) Low pressure limit, 4) Apnea alarm. Here's how they correlate with lung volumes and ventilation:

• PEEP helps to prevent alveolar collapse and maintains functional residual capacity (FRC).
• The high pressure limit alarm might signify increased resistance or decreased lung compliance, affecting measures like slow vital capacity (SVC) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV).
• A low pressure limit alarm could indicate a leak in the ventilator system or that the patient is not well-connected to the ventilator, potentially affecting tidal volume maintenance.
• The apnea alarm indicates that the patient has not taken a breath for a predefined period, risking a decrease in total lung capacity (TLC) and residual volume (RV).

Understanding these alarms is crucial as they relate directly to the patient's respiratory mechanics and the aim of mechanical ventilation to support or replace spontaneous breathing.