Identify the improperly set ventilator parameter using the scalars shown below

a. Mode
b. Flow rate
c. Sensitivity
d. Tidal volume

ANS: C
The breaths shown are both patient triggered. Negative deflections on the pressure-time scalar are present for both complete breaths shown. There is also a negative deflection between the two that did not result in a ventilator breath. A closer look at the amount of pressure required to trig-ger a ventilator breath shows that it is set too insensitive. In this situation the patient needs to generate a pressure of 10 cm H2O below the baseline to trigger a breath. The negative deflection in the center of the pressure-time scalar demonstrates that the patient could not generate enough negative pressure to trigger a breath. Therefore, the sensitivity is not set properly.