Question

The respiratory therapist has been asked to measure Auto-PEEP on a patient receiving mechanical ventilation. In order to do this, the therapist should __________.

1) initiate an inspiratory hold just after the next ventilator-delivered breath.
2) initiate an expiratory hold just prior to the next ventilator-delivered breath.
3) subtract Pplat from Pdyn.
4) subtract set PEEP from the measured Pplat.

Answer 1

To measure Auto-PEEP on a patient receiving mechanical ventilation, the respiratory therapist should initiate an inspiratory hold just after the next ventilator-delivered breath.

Step-by-step explanation:

To measure Auto-PEEP on a patient receiving mechanical ventilation, the respiratory therapist should initiate an inspiratory hold just after the next ventilator-delivered breath. Auto-PEEP, or intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure, is the additional positive pressure that remains in the lungs at the end of expiration. By initiating an inspiratory hold, the therapist can measure the amount of pressure present in the lungs after the next ventilator-delivered breath, which will help determine the level of Auto-PEEP.