Which factor can cause a patient who is making respiratory efforts not to receive a breath from the ventilator?

• A. Sensitivity Too High
• B. Leak In Circuit
• C. Overventilation
• D. FiO2 Is Too High

Answer: (A)

Trigger sensitivity is how easily the ventilator detects a patient’s inspiratory effort. If sensitivity is set too high, the ventilator can react to very small changes in pressure or flow, including noise, minor chest movement, or circuit artifacts, and may not deliver a proper breath in response to an actual sustained patient effort. This can result in the patient making respiratory efforts without receiving a ventilator-supported breath. Leaks in the circuit, excessive ventilation, or a high FiO2 don’t directly explain why an active inspiratory effort wouldn’t be delivered in the same way, since they affect signal detection, oxygen content, or breath timing rather than the trigger threshold itself.