Proportional Assist Ventilation

Abstract

Proportional assist ventilation (PAV) and its updated version PAV+ (proportional assist ventilation with adjustable gain factors) is a mode of assisted mechanical ventilation, by which the pressure provided by the ventilator is proportional to patients’ ventilation demands. Clinical studies support evidence that PAV/PAV+ decreases patient-ventilator dyssynchrony, protects from over-under ventilation assistance, allows the patient to retain its desirable breathing pattern, and increases the probability of remaining on assisted or unassisted spontaneous breathing. This chapter highlights the basic operation principles of PAV/PAV+, the evidence supporting this mode’s effectiveness, and methods for setting ventilation assistance.