Proportional assist ventilation.
Acute respiratory failure due to derangement of mechanical properties of respiratory system and/or to neuromuscular weakness has been defined as "poor neuroventilatory coupling.'' Proportional assist ventilation (PAV) is an innovative mode of partial ventilatory support designed to "amplify'' patient inspiratory effort and thus to restore a normal "neuroventilatory coupling.'' Potential advantages of PAV in terms of more physiologic patient-ventilator interactions have been evaluated by several studies. We review the literature to elucidate the state of the art of the clinical implementation of PAV.
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Unita' Operativa di Terapia Intensiva, Azienda Ospedaliera Di Venere-Giovanni XXIII, Ospedale DiVenere, Bari, Italia.
Marco Ranieri
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