Riding the Wave (Part 3): An Introduction to Ventilator Loops

About this Course

Riding the Wave (Part 3): An Introduction to Ventilator Loops provides clinicians with a clear, structured foundation for understanding the essential role that ventilator loops play in mechanical ventilation. This course builds upon the knowledge of scalar graphs introduced in Part 2 and guides learners through the anatomy, function, and interpretation of normal pressure–volume and flow–volume loops. Through step-by-step explanations, participants learn how variables such as pressure, volume, and flow interact when plotted against each other, how loops represent the full inspiratory–expiratory breath cycle, and how these graphics reflect core lung mechanics, including compliance, critical opening pressures, and the physiologic meaning of the lower and upper inflection points. By the end of the session, learners will understand not only what they are seeing on the ventilator screen, but *why* these loops form the way they do. The course also introduces practical applications of ventilator loops, emphasizing how they support clinical decision-making even before abnormal patterns appear. Participants examine how the shape and slope of a loop can reveal lung recruitment, functional residual capacity, the impact of PEEP adjustments, and the patient’s ventilatory response in real time. Using both visual examples and live ventilator demonstrations, the session shows how to manipulate ventilator settings, observe loop changes, and develop an intuitive grasp of normal respiratory mechanics under mechanical ventilation. This foundational knowledge prepares learners for Part 4, where the focus shifts to identifying—and acting on—abnormal loop patterns encountered in critical care and transport environments.