Understanding Flow Adaptation in Mechanical Ventilation

Flow adaptation is a term used by some ventilator manufacturers to describe the delivery of additional flow during volume control ventilation in response to strong patient inspiratory efforts.

In this example, a downward deviation of the airway pressure waveform during the first half of inspiration indicates the patient’s vigorous inspiratory effort. The ventilator senses this increased demand and provides supplemental flow, producing a small upward bump above the otherwise constant flow pattern on the flow–time scalar.