The clinician determines appropriate ventilator settings according to the condition and needs of the patient. The settings include:
FIO2
The measure of oxygen the ventilator is delivering during inspiration.
Rate
The number of breaths delivered by the ventilator per minute.
Tidal volume
The volume of gas/air delivered with each breath.
Sensitivity
This alerts the ventilator when to recognize the start of a patient‘s spontaneous breath (or breathing effort). When the ventilator recognizes the patient‘s effort, it triggers a response, either to provide a mechanical breath or to support a spontaneous one.
Peak flow
The flow of gas/air (flow rate) used to deliver each mechanical breath to the patient.
Inspiratory and expiratory times
The total time required for one complete respiratory cycle. Typically, patients are comfortable with an expiratory time two to three times longer than the inspiratory time.
Cycling
The manner in which the ventilator ends the inspiratory phase of the breath and allows the patient to exhale. Ventilator breaths can be volume cycled, time cycled or flow cycled.
Limit
This setting restricts the volume, pressure or time air is delivered to the patient during the inspiratory phase.