What is a potential consequence of over-inflation during mechanical ventilation?

Over-inflation during mechanical ventilation can lead to lung barotrauma or pneumothorax. When excessive pressure is applied to the lungs beyond their capacity, it can cause the alveoli (the tiny air sacs in the lungs) to rupture. This leads to air escaping into the pleural space, resulting in pneumothorax, a condition where air accumulates in the space between the lung and the chest wall, causing lung collapse.

This is a significant concern in mechanical ventilation, as using high airway pressures or inappropriate tidal volumes can compromise lung integrity. Proper management of ventilator settings is crucial to prevent such adverse events and ensure patient safety.

While inadequate ventilation, decreased oxygen delivery, and increased respiratory rate can all be relevant to ventilation issues, they do not specifically result from the acute effects of over-inflation in the same direct manner that barotrauma does. Thus, the critical risk associated with over-inflation is primarily the risk of causing barotrauma or pneumothorax.