6.1 Spontaneous Modes: A Review

Now that we have learned all about control modes, it’s time to shift to the other branch of the ventilation “family tree”: spontaneous mode:

The ventilation family tree with spontaneous branch indicated.
Figure 6.1.1: “Family Tree – Spontaneous” by Amanda Robinson, CC BY-SA

The importance of spontaneous modes should be clear to you after a brief overview of what we have learned so far about mechanical ventilation, including the following key concepts:

  • Positive pressure applied to the lungs is damaging
  • Mimicking physiologic breathing is much better for the body
  • Patient-ventilator asynchrony can happen in control modes because the ventilator is delivering breaths based on what is set and not the patient

In this chapter, we will discuss these points in detail, as well as highlight additional benefits of spontaneous modes.

“Spontaneous Modes: A Review” from Basic Principles of Mechanical Ventilation by Melody Bishop, © Sault College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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Breathe Easy: RT Student Resource for Mechanical Ventilation Copyright © 2023 by Fanshawe College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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