What is a significant disadvantage of Advanced Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV)?

What is a significant disadvantage of Advanced Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV)?

• A. It guarantees a minimum minute ventilation
• B. It creates a risk of volutrauma if not monitoring changes in resistance and compliance
• C. It only delivers controlled breaths
• D. It cannot adapt to spontaneous ventilation changes

Answer: (B)

The choice highlighting the significant disadvantage of Advanced Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) revolves around the risk of volutrauma. APRV is a mode that uses positive airway pressure and incorporates spontaneous breathing. While it can improve oxygenation and reduce sedation needs, if adequate monitoring of the patient’s lung mechanics—such as resistance and compliance—is not performed, it can lead to over-distension of the alveoli. This over-distension, or volutrauma, may cause additional injury to the lung tissue, particularly if pressure settings are not appropriately adjusted to the dynamic state of the patient’s lungs. Therefore, close monitoring of these parameters is essential to prevent damage while utilizing APRV. The other options highlight features or attributes of APRV that are either beneficial or do not represent significant drawbacks, which is why they are not considered the main disadvantage in this context. For example, the ability to guarantee a minimum minute ventilation and adaptability to spontaneous breaths support the advantages of APRV, whereas the fact that it does not solely deliver controlled breaths is merely a characteristic of its function rather than a disadvantage.

The choice highlighting the significant disadvantage of Advanced Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) revolves around the risk of volutrauma. APRV is a mode that uses positive airway pressure and incorporates spontaneous breathing. While it can improve oxygenation and reduce sedation needs, if adequate monitoring of the patient’s lung mechanics—such as resistance and compliance—is not performed, it can lead to over-distension of the alveoli. This over-distension, or volutrauma, may cause additional injury to the lung tissue, particularly if pressure settings are not appropriately adjusted to the dynamic state of the patient’s lungs. Therefore, close monitoring of these parameters is essential to prevent damage while utilizing APRV.

The other options highlight features or attributes of APRV that are either beneficial or do not represent significant drawbacks, which is why they are not considered the main disadvantage in this context. For example, the ability to guarantee a minimum minute ventilation and adaptability to spontaneous breaths support the advantages of APRV, whereas the fact that it does not solely deliver controlled breaths is merely a characteristic of its function rather than a disadvantage.