Assessing Respiratory System Mechanical Function

Abstract

The assessment of the respiratory mechanical function during mechanical ventilatory support refers to the evaluation of respiratory system physiology and ventilator performance through a variety of methods with the ultimate goal of understanding the interactions between applied pressures and flows inside the respiratory system.1 Early detection of abnormalities in this interaction is critical because it could affect the patient’s outcomes. In the critical care setting, it has become increasingly important to recognize whether the respiratory function has improved or deteriorated, whether the ventilator settings match the patient’s demand, and whether the selection of ventilator parameters follows a lung-protective strategy. Respiratory measurements include several single and combined parameters but also a long list of derived values. In order to obtain these values and identify abnormalities in the respiratory mechanical function, a variety of monitoring methods are currently available to clinicians. Ventilator graphics, esophageal pressure, intra-abdominal pressure, and electric impedance tomography are some of the best-known monitoring tools to obtain measurements and adequately evaluate the respiratory system mechanical function.