Interpretation of airway pressure waveforms.

Most mechanical ventilators display tracings of airway pressure (Paw) volume (V) and flow (V). In volume preset modes, Paw informs about the mechanical properties of the respiratory system and about the activity of respiratory muscles acting on the system. When monitoring ventilator waveforms, it is important to appropriately scale the tracing so that nuances in time profiles may be appreciated. In this short monograph, we offer three examples of how clinicians may use this information for patient assessment and care.