Resident lecture – modes vs. types of ventilation

2015 nov 12 - modes vs types of ventilation

Quite often, I hear medical residents reporting during morning rounds that their patients are on Assist Control or SIMV or PCV.  I remind them that is a very incomplete statement and that a qualifier word is needed in there during reporting.  Otherwise, the report is not very telling of the acuity of the patient.

I remind medical  residents that there are :

Modes of Ventilation :

AC  (full ventilatory support

SIMV (partial ventilatory support)

PSV (minimal ventilatory support)

and then, there are :

Types of Ventilation :

VCV (volume controlled ventilation)

PCV (pressure controlled ventilation)

PRVC (pressure regulated volume control)

When properly set up in the above grid (like a multiplication table) the relationship becomes obvious.

Types of Ventilation include :

Volume ventilation includes : AC-VCV ; SIMV-VCV ; VSV (volume support ventilation).

Pressure ventilation includes : AC-PCV ; SIMV-PCV ; PSV(pressure support ventilation).

Pressure Regulated ventilation includes : AC-PRVC ; SIMV-PRVC ; VSV (volume support ventilation).

Modes of Ventilation include :

full ventilatory support includes : AC-VCV ; AC-PCV ; AC-PRVC.

partial ventilator support includes : SIMV-VCV ; SIMV-PCV ; SIMV-PRVC.

minimal ventilatory support includes : VSV ; PSV (& NAVA).