Don't mistake Inspiratory Muscle Relaxation for Late Cycling

A pressure spike at the end of inspiration is sometimes misinterpreted as delayed (late) cycling. However, it is important to recognize that a similar spike can occur simply due to relaxation of the inspiratory muscles, even without active expiratory effort. When a strong inspiratory effort suddenly stops, the ventilator may not immediately compensate, leading to a brief overshoot in airway pressure. Thus, not all end-inspiratory pressure spikes indicate late cycling; some may reflect inspiratory muscle relaxation rather than expiratory muscle contraction.