What is a recommended intervention to correct auto-PEEP?

To correct auto-PEEP, increasing the expiratory time is a recommended intervention. Auto-PEEP occurs when there is inadequate time for the lungs to completely exhale, leading to trapped air and an increase in end-expiratory lung volume. By extending the expiratory phase, the ventilator allows more time for the lungs to empty, thereby reducing the residual lung volume and preventing air trapping.

This adjustment helps improve the effectiveness of each breath the patient takes and can alleviate associated issues, such as difficulty initiating a new breath due to increased intrathoracic pressure and decreased tidal volume. Managing auto-PEEP is crucial as it can impair gas exchange and lead to hypoventilation.

Increasing the inspiratory time or decreasing the peak flow could potentially worsen the situation by not providing enough time for exhalation, while reducing the expiratory time would directly contribute to increased auto-PEEP. Thus, extending the expiratory phase is the most appropriate approach for addressing this issue.