How Flow Waveform Morphology Reveals Patient Effort?

The flow-time scalar typically exhibits an exponential decay when a patient exerts minimal inspiratory effort. This pattern may also indicate that the patient has a low respiratory drive and is exerting minimal work during breathing. Moreover, this appearance can also be observed in cases of false triggering, where the patient is in a passive state.

The rounded appearance of the inspiratory flow-time scalar is commonly observed when a patient exerts substantial inspiratory effort. This appearance may also indicate that the patient has a high respiratory drive and is actively engaging in significant work during breathing (work shifting)