13th January 2024

A 63-year-old man presented with acute respiratory failure.

A 63-year-old man presented with acute respiratory failure. He was intubated and given mechanical ventilation in the ED. The initial settings for the mechanical ventilator were Vt, 750 mL; respiratory rate, 10 breaths per minute; and PEEP, 5 cm H2O. The patient was transferred to the ICU. He was deeply sedated and paralysed, and no spontaneous breathing effort was noted. The on-call registrar decreased the Vt to 500 mL and increased the respiratory rate to 15 breaths per minute. Which of the following changes would you expect to occur as a result of the registrar’s intervention?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.