Nomenclature of mechanical ventilation

Many terms are used in mechanical ventilation, some are specific to brand, model, trademark and mode of mechanical ventilation. There is a standardized nomenclature of mechanical ventilation that is specific about nomenclature related to modes, but not settings and variables.

Volume Controlled Continuous Mandatory Ventilation

Volume Controlled Continuous Mandatory Ventilation — (VC-CMV) Mechanical ventilation with preset tidal volume and inspiratory flow. Every breath is mandatory (i.e.,inspiration is patient or machine trigged and machine cycled)^[1].

Terms replaced by VC-CMV

• Assist/Control
• A/C
• CMV
• Volume Assist/Control
• Volume Control
• Volume Limited Ventilation
• Volume Controlled Ventilation
• Controlled Ventilation
• Volume Targeted Ventilation

Volume Controlled Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation

Volume Controlled Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation — (VC-IMV) Mechanical ventilation with preset tidal volume and inspiratory flow. Spontaneous breaths (i.e., inspiration is patient triggered and patient cycled) can exist between mandatory breaths^[2].

Terms replaced by VC-IMV

• Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation
• SIMV

Pressure Controlled Continuous Mandatory Ventilation

Pressure Controlled Continuous Mandatory Ventilation — (PC-CMV) Mechanical ventilation with preset inspiratory pressure and inspiratory time. Every breath is mandatory (ie, patient or machine trigged and machine cycled).

Terms replaced by PC-CMV

• Assist/Control
• A/C
• CMV
• Pressure Assist/Control
• Pressure Control
• Pressure Limited Ventilation
• Pressure Controlled Ventilation
• Pressure Targeted Ventilation

Pressure Controlled Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation

Pressure Controlled Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation — (PC-IMV) Mechanical ventilation with preset inspiratory pressure and inspiratory time. Spontaneous breaths (i.e., inspiration is patient triggered and patient cycled) can exist between mandatory breaths.

Terms replaced by PC-IMV

• Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation
• SIMV

Continuous Spontaneous Ventilation

Continuous Spontaneous Ventilation — CSV is any mode of mechanical ventilation where every breath is spontaneous (i.e., patient triggered and patient cycled).

Terms no longer in use

• Spont
• Spontaneous

Mandatory Breath

Mandatory Breath is a breath type during mechanical ventilation for which inspiration is machine triggered and/or machine cycled.

Terms no longer in use

• Machine breath
• mechanical breath

Spontaneous Breath

Spontaneous Breaths are a breath type for which inspiration is both patient triggered and patient cycled. Applies to assisted or unassisted breathing.

Assisted Ventilation or Breath

Assisted Ventilation or assisted breath references ventilation (or breath) for which a machine provides some or all of the work of breathing.

Terms no longer in use

• Patient triggered ventilation
• Patient triggered breath

Patient triggered breath

Patient triggered breath — A breath that is initiated by the patient, independent of ventilator settings for frequency.

Terms no longer in use

• Patient assisted breath
• assisted breath

Autotriggering

Autotriggering — Autotriggering is the unintended initiation of breath delivery by the ventilator, e.g., by an external disturbance such as movement of the breathing tube or an inappropriate trigger sensitivity setting.

Terms no longer in use

• Autocycling

Non-standardized terminology

The following are terms that are included in modes of mechanical ventilation but are not yet included in the standardized nomenclature.

Volume related

• V_t — Tidal volume
• V_e — Minute ventilation
• Amplitude — High-frequency ventilation (Active)

Pressure related

• P_ip — Peak inspiratory pressure
• P_plat — Plateau pressure (airway)
• M_paw — Mean airway pressure
• E_PAP — Pressure applied to exhalation
• I_PAP — Pressure applied to inhalation
• P_high — Highest pressure attained, similar to P_ip; this is a constant pressure.
• P_low — Pressure that P_high drops to during expiratory time (T_low)
• PEEP — Positive end-expiratory pressure, pressure created by a backpressure valve.
• C_PAP — Continuous positive airway pressure
• Δ_p — Delta-P, the change in pressure from the highest pressure to the lowest pressure.

Time related

• I:E — Inspiratory:Expiratory ratio
• T_high — Time set for inhalation.
• T_low — Time set for exhalation.

References

1. ^ du Toit PW, Ungerer MJ (1977). "[Nomenclature in respiratory failure, mechanical ventilation and related technics].". S Afr Med J 52 (26): 1030–1. PMID 609974. 
2. ^ Donn SM (2009). "Neonatal ventilators: how do they differ?". J Perinatol 29 Suppl 2: S73-8. doi:10.1038/jp.2009.23. PMID 19399015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&tool=sumsearch.org/cite&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=19399015.