Spontanatmungsphase

Spontanatmungsphase refers to the period during mechanical ventilation when the patient's own breathing effort triggers the ventilator to deliver a breath. This is a key concept in modern ventilator modes designed to support rather than completely control a patient's breathing. During the spontanatmungsphase, the ventilator senses a change in pressure or flow within the circuit that indicates the patient is attempting to inhale. Upon detecting this inspiratory effort, the ventilator initiates and delivers a mechanical breath, typically at a preset pressure or volume.

The purpose of allowing for spontanatmungsphase is to promote patient comfort, reduce the work of breathing, and potentially facilitate weaning from mechanical ventilation. By synchronizing the ventilator's support with the patient's natural breathing pattern, the risk of asynchrony, which can lead to patient distress and lung injury, is minimized. This collaborative breathing between patient and machine is a hallmark of modes such as pressure support ventilation (PSV), volume support ventilation (VSV), and certain synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) configurations. The sensitivity of the ventilator to detect the patient's inspiratory trigger is a critical setting that needs to be adjusted to optimize this interaction.