Patient-Ventilator Asynchrony: Etiology and Solutions

Abstract

Patient-ventilator asynchrony is one of the most cited reasons for giving sedation during mechanical ventilation. Various
studies show that 40-50% of increase in sedative dosing is done to curb asynchrony. The acute respiratory distress syndrome
(ARDS) network protocol for lung protective ventilation directs the clinician to adjust the ventilator settings or give sedation
when there are more than three breaths stacking (double triggers) per minute. This review article discusses the etiology
behind patient-ventilator asynchrony and the proposed solutions.