3. WHAT AM I UP TO ?
• Familiarize clinicians with
– Common patterns of ventilator graphics
encountered in the ICU
• Recognize the normal scalar and loop
graphics
– Its different components
• Recognize abnormalities in each
• Identify mode of ventilation from the
graphics
• What did I learn ?
4. NUMBERS Vs GRAPHICS
• NUMBERS
• Apparently objective
• May be easier for
beginners
• Provide less information
• Less catchy
• GRAPHICS
• More subjective
• Interpretation needs
some experience
• More detailed information
• More catchy
5. • 22 year old female
• Tall, fair, good looking
• Cute smile with nice
dimples
• 36-24-36
• Flashy dressing style
Pictorial representations more informative
and attractive too!!!
7. COMPONENTS
• Scalars
– Any single variable plotted against time
– Flow Vs Time
– Volume Vs Time
– Pressure Vs Time
• Loops
– Two scalars plotted against each other
– Flow Vs Volume
– Pressure Vs Volume
10. FLOW Vs TIME CURVE
• General comments
– Time on the horizontal (x) axis and flow on
the vertical (y) axis
– Inspiratory flow above the base line and
expiratory flow below baseline
– Only scalar curve with significant tracing
below the baseline
• Normal depictions
– Differentiation of a mechanical Vs
spontaneous breath
– Recognition of the various patterns of
inspiratory flow in a mechanical breath
– Analysis of inspiratory and expiratory limbs
Vs
11. MECHANICAL Vs SPONTANEOUS
• Spontaneous inspiration
– sine flow pattern
• Mechanical breath
– inspiratory flow pattern depends on the pattern set
– can be square, accelerating, decelerating or sine
• Further differentiation can be made from
pressure time curve
13. INSPIRATORY LIMB
• Depicts the pattern of inspiratory
flow
– sine, square, decelerating or
accelerating
• Depicts the
– PIFR and
– inspiratory time
15. EXPIRATORY LIMB
• Depicts the PEFR and expiratory time
• PEFR is reached instantly and
expiratory flow ceases before the
expiration ends
• Expiratory flow pattern depends on
– Patient effort (active exhalation)
– Raw (bronchospasm, secretions etc)
– Elastic recoil of the lungs (compliance)
17. ABNORMALITIES IN F-T SCALAR
• Airflow obstruction
• Active exhalation
• Bronchodilator response
• Air trapping and auto PEEP
• Air leak
18. OBSTRUCTION Vs ACTIVE
EXPIRATION
• Obstruction
– Decreased PEFR which is attained
slightly later in expiration
– Duration of expiratory flow is prolonged
– Air trapping may be evident
• Active exhalation
– High PEFR and shortened duration of
expiratory flow
20. BRONCHODILATOR RESPONSE
• Initial curve shows airflow
obstruction
• After bronchodilator administration
– PEFR and flow rates improve
– Duration of expiratory flow is shortened
– Air trapping, if present initially, is
abolished
22. AIR TRAPPING AND AUTO PEEP
• Expiratory flow does not return
to baseline before the next
inspiration
• Auto PEEP results
– Flow time curve is very sensitive
to detect auto PEEP
– Does not display the magnitude
of auto PEEP
• Larger the distance from the
baseline, more is the auto
PEEP
0
+
23. AIR TRAPPING AND AUTO PEEP
Inspiration
Expiration
Normal
Patient
Time (sec)
Flow
(L/min)
Auto PEEP
24. VOLUME Vs TIME CURVE
• Time on the horizontal (x) axis and volume
on the vertical (y) axis
• Gives information about
– inspiratory and expiratory time
– inspiratory and expiratory tidal volumes
• Normally, the FRC is reached in expiration
much before the next inspiration begins
Vs
25. VOLUME Vs TIME GRAPH
Inspiration
Expiration
Time (sec)
Volume
(ml)
TI
Inspiratory Tidal Volume
TE
27. ACTIVE EXHALATION
• Expiratory tracing of the
curve extends below the
baseline
• Another cause for a similar
appearance is poor
calibration of flow
transducer
31. PRESSURE Vs TIME CURVE
• Time on the horizontal (x) axis and
pressure on the vertical (y) axis
• Differentiates mechanical from
spontaneous breath
• Differentiates controlled from
assisted breath
• Helps to identify various components
of inflation pressure
Vs
32. MECHANICAL Vs SPONTANEOUS
• For a spontaneous breath
– Inspiratory tracing is below baseline (negative)
– Magnitude of pressure swings are usually smaller
• For mechanical breath
– Both inspiratory and expiratory tracings are above
baseline
34. ASSISTED Vs CONTROLLED
• Assisted breaths
– Is triggered by patient
– Small initial negative deflection which indicates
patient effort
– Breaths may not occur at fixed intervals
• Controlled breaths
– Ventilator triggered – usually time triggered – breaths
occur at regular intervals
– No initial negative deflection
36. INFLATION PRESSURES
• Components include
– PIP – it is the maximum pressure
attained during inspiration
– PEEP – Identified when the curve does
not touch baseline
– P plateau – is a measure of the alveolar
pressure; measured by inspiratory
pause
– P ta – reflects the trans airway pressure
– difference of PIP and P plat
38. INSPIRATORY HOLD
• Ventilator gives us the option of holding breath in end
inspiration by pressing a button
• Possible/meaningful only in controlled mode with no
patient effort to inspire or expire
• This ceases airflow in full inspiration and the measured
airway pressure reflects alveolar pressure
• Alveolar pressure at end inspiration is a measure of
static lung compliance
40. Begin Inspiration
Begin Expiration
P
aw
(cm
H
2
O)
Time (sec)
Distending
(Alveolar)
Pressure Expiration
Inflation Hold
(seconds)
PIP
WHAT DOES EACH SIGNIFY ?
P plat
P Plat reflects alveolar pressure – measure of elastic work
P ta reflects airway resistance – measure of resistive work
41. STATIC COMPLIANCE
• Static compliance (C st) = lung
volume at inspiratory hold divided
by pressure
• C st = Expiratory TV / (P plat –
PEEP)
43. HIGH PEAK PRESSURES
• Can be due to
– Decreased lung compliance
– Increased airway resistance
– High inspiratory flow rates
44. INCREASED RESISTANCE Vs
DECREASED COMPLIANCE
INCREASED Raw
• Elevated PIP
• Normal P plat
• Elevated P ta
• Often, responds to
bronchodilators or
clearance of secretions
DECREASED Cst
• Elevated PIP
• Elevated P plat
• P ta normal or decreased
• Poor response
45. PIP Vs P plat IN VARIOUS STATES
Normal High Raw
High Flow
Low Compliance
Time (sec)
Paw
(cm
H
2
O)
PIP
PPlat
PIP
PIP PIP
PPlat
PPlat
PPlat
46. HIGH FLOW RATES
• Elevated PIP
• Normal P plat
• Elevated P ta
• Decreased inspiratory time (Ti) with supranormal
PIFR
47. PRESSURE VOLUME LOOP
• Pressure on the horizontal (X) axis and volume
on the vertical (Y) axis
• Gives information regarding
– Type of breath – mechanical Vs spontaneous
– Controlled Vs assisted mode
– Components of the PV loop – FRC, TV, PEEP PIP
and inflection points
– WOB – both elastic and resistive
48. COMPONENTS OF P-V LOOP
• Tracing begins from the FRC
• Application of PEEP
– increases the FRC level
– shifts tidal breathing to a higher segment of the lung volume
– rightward shift of the PV loop occurs
• PIP corresponds to the right extreme of the loop
• TV corresponds to the uppermost extreme of the loop
50. PEEP IN THE P-V LOOP
Volume
(mL)
VT
PIP
Paw (cm H2O)
PEEP
51. INFLECTION POINTS
• These are points of sudden change in slope of
the tracings
• Represent alveolar opening and recoil
– The lower inflection point indicates the beginning of
alveolar opening
– The upper inflection point indicates lung recoil and
over distention
• A higher LIP (shift of curve to right) indicates a
stiffer lung
53. TYPE OF BREATH
• Mechanical breath
– Tracing is counter clockwise
– entire tracing is to the right of Y axis (pressure
remains positive throughout respiratory cycle)
• Assisted
– Tracing starts clockwise (patient trigger) and then
becomes counter clockwise
– Small negative deflection in pressure tracing (pt
trigger)
• Spontaneous
– Clockwise tracing
– inspiratory tracing on left side of Y axis (negative
intrathoracic inspiratory pressure)
57. DECREASED COMPLIANCE
• Pattern slightly different in volume targeted and
pressure targeted modes
• Volume targeted
– Higher PIP needed for delivering same VT
– Shift of curve to right with widening
• Pressure targeted
– Lower VT delivered for same PIP
– Curve shifts downwards; slight narrowing
60. INCREASED AIRWAY RESISTANCE
• Widening of the P-V loop
– Lower slope and increased Pta
• More evident in the inspiratory limb
• Termed increased hysteresis
62. OVERDISTENTION
• Increase in airway pressure without corresponding
increase in volume
– upper part of P-V loop becomes almost horizontal
• Called beak effect or Duckbill
• Commonly seen if ARDS or ILD patients ventilated in VC
mode with high VT
• Tackled by
– decreasing the set VT
– setting a lower alarm for PIP
– changing to PCV
64. INADEQUATE SENSITIVITY
• Clinically significant as it increases the work to trigger
ventilatory assistance
– Negates the very purpose of ventilatory support
• Significant clockwise deflection occurs to the right of Y
axis
• Pressure decreases by >= 5 cm below the baseline
before ventilator delivers breath
66. INADEQUATE INSPIRATORY FLOW
• P-V loop has a scooped out pattern
• Notching on the inspiratory limb
– may be evident if patient makes own
inspiratory attempts
70. FLOW VOLUME LOOP
• Flow plotted on the vertical (y) axis and volume
on the horizontal (x) axis
• Inspiration plotted above the X axis and
expiration below it (can be opposite also)
• Gives information about
– PIFR
– PEFR
– Tidal volume
73. AIRWAY SECRETIONS
• Flow volume loop tracing assumes a saw tooth
appearance
– Seen in the expiratory limb first
– If not promptly corrected, appears in inspiratory limb
also
• This feature has
– Positive predictive value of 94%
– Negative predictive value of 77% if absent
75. INCREASED Raw
• Decreased expiratory flow rates – esp. – PEFR
• Expiratory tracing has a scooped out
appearance
• Tracing becomes slightly convex towards the
volume axis in early stages
77. MODES OF VENTILATION
• Volume control / VC with assist
• Pressure control / PC with assist
• SIMV – volume and pressure targeted
• SIMV with PS
• SIMV with PS with CPAP
• PSV with and without CPAP
• Spontaneous breaths
• Dual modes
78. VOLUME CONTROL
Preset VT
Volume Cycling
Dependent on
CL & Raw
Time (sec)
Flow (L/m)
Pressure
(cm H2O)
Volume (mL)
Preset Peak Flow
Time triggered, Flow limited, Volume cycled Ventilation