In what situation is a mode of handling airway pressure preferable?

Handling airway pressure is particularly preferable when managing patients with low lung compliance. In these cases, the lungs may be stiffer and require higher pressure to achieve adequate ventilation. Low lung compliance indicates that the lungs cannot expand easily, which often necessitates a more controlled approach to ensure that sufficient tidal volume is delivered without causing barotrauma or other complications.

In this context, the use of airway pressure control modes, such as pressure-controlled ventilation, is advantageous because it allows for the setting of a safe upper limit on airway pressure. This helps to protect fragile lung tissue from damage while still delivering adequate volumes of air. Managing ventilation through pressure is especially important in patients with conditions like pulmonary fibrosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), or other conditions that increase lung stiffness.

In contrast, managing patients with normal compliance or those who are fully conscious may not require the same level of pressure control, as their lungs can expand and contract more freely. Therefore, employing a strategy that predominantly uses airway pressure would not be as critical in those situations. Similarly, during chest physiotherapy, the focus is often on airway clearance rather than direct control of ventilation parameters, thereby making airway pressure less central to the management strategy.