What does Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) allow patients to do?

Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) is a mode of mechanical ventilation that facilitates spontaneous breathing while maintaining elevated airway pressures. This innovative approach allows patients to breathe spontaneously during periods of elevated pressure, providing them with the opportunity to take deeper breaths and enhance gas exchange.

In APRV, the ventilator alternates between two levels of pressure: a higher level that allows for lung inflation and a lower level that permits spontaneous exhalation. This dual pressure strategy encourages natural respiratory mechanics, encouraging patient comfort and improving oxygenation and ventilation efficiency.

This mode is particularly beneficial for patients with conditions like Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), as it helps in recruiting collapsed lung units while also allowing for patient-initiated breaths without entirely relying on mechanical breaths.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the capabilities of APRV. The option about only receiving positive pressure breaths suggests a rigidity that is not present in APRV, where spontaneous breathing is encouraged. The option regarding breathing exclusively through a tracheostomy does not pertain to the mechanism of APRV, and reducing tidal volume significantly conflicts with APRV's design to support adequate ventilation while allowing spontaneous effort.