If an infant on a pressure-limited ventilator is showing signs of distress, which adjustment is recommended?

• A. Switch to a volume-cycled ventilator
• B. Decrease the pressure pop-off
• C. Decrease I:E ratio
• D. Increase the flow

Answer: (D)

When an infant on a pressure-limited ventilator is exhibiting signs of distress, increasing the flow is often the recommended adjustment. This is because a higher flow rate can help to improve the efficiency of the ventilator in delivering breaths, leading to improved ventilation and oxygenation.

In this context, increased flow can contribute to reduced inspiratory time, effectively decreasing respiratory muscle fatigue and helping to provide adequate ventilation more quickly. This is particularly important in infants, who have limited lung capacity and may experience respiratory distress more acutely.

While other options might seem like potential solutions, they do not directly address the immediate needs related to respiratory distress as effectively as increasing the flow does. For example, switching to a volume-cycled ventilator may not be necessary in this scenario and could introduce additional complexities. Decreasing the pressure pop-off might lead to inadequate ventilation if the pressure limit is set too low, while decreasing the I:E ratio may not effectively relieve the distress and could further compromise airflow. Thus, increasing the flow stands out as the most effective response in this situation.