What is the range of Pressure Support (PS) commonly used to assist with spontaneous breaths?

• A. 5-25 cmH2O
• B. 0-5 cmH2O
• C. 25-40 cmH2O
• D. 2-10 cmH2O

Answer: (A)

Pressure Support provides an inspiratory boost during spontaneous breaths to help overcome airway resistance and reduce the patient’s work of breathing. The range commonly used spans roughly from 5 to 25 cmH2O, giving a small amount of help to nearly full support depending on the patient’s needs. Starting at the lower end helps ease the transition and assess tolerance, while increasing toward the upper end augments tidal volume and comfort when the patient requires more assistance or during weaning trials. As you adjust, you’ll see higher pressures generally reduce the work of breathing and raise tidal volume, but you must watch for signs of overdistension or hemodynamic compromise and tailor the setting to the patient’s responses and monitoring data.