What type of patients typically use pressure support ventilation to decrease work of breathing?

• A. Patients requiring complete mechanical ventilation
• B. Patients spontaneously breathing who need assistance with work of breathing
• C. Patients with acute respiratory failure
• D. Patients on full respiratory support with high tidal volume

Answer: (B)

Pressure support ventilation (PSV) is specifically designed to assist patients who are capable of spontaneous breathing but may require support to reduce the effort involved in breathing. This mode allows the patient to initiate breaths spontaneously, while the ventilator provides a preset level of pressure to help augment each breath.

This is particularly useful for patients who are not fully reliant on mechanical ventilation and are in a transition phase, such as weaning off mechanical support. The mode helps to decrease the work of breathing by providing necessary pressure support, allowing the patient to breathe more easily and comfortably without having to generate the full negative pressure themselves.

Patients requiring complete mechanical ventilation and those on full respiratory support with high tidal volume typically do not utilize pressure support ventilation because they cannot initiate their own breaths or require full mechanical assistance. Similarly, those with acute respiratory failure may need different modes focused on controlling ventilation, rather than support for spontaneous breaths. Thus, the essence of pressure support ventilation is its application in cases where patients can breathe on their own but need help to make breathing less strenuous.