The Peak Inspiration Podcast
The Peak Inspiration Podcast

Breaking Down Waveforms Sent In!!!

August 27, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Breaking Down Waveforms Sent In!!!

A waveform analysis challenge was sent in by someone caring for a patient on a ventilator. The first step in identifying any waveform is knowing what to look at, what will change, and what will not. In this case, the pressure curve showed a flat top that did not change much from breath to breath, while the flow waveform appeared to change—more rounded in some places, straighter in others. When pressure does not change but flow does, that signals a pressure-based mode. The presence of a set tidal volume on a pressure-based mode means it is an adaptive mode like PRVC (Pressure Regulated Volume Control). This immediately tells the clinician to look toward the flow and volume waveforms for signs of dyssynchrony.

What Normal Looks Like and What Went Wrong

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What you'll learn

  • 1 Breaking Down Waveforms Sent In!!!
  • 2 The Peak Inspiration Podcast
  • 3 (00:00) **First Waveform Analysis: Identifying the Mode** - The host begins analyzing a waveform sent in by a clinician, starting with the fundamental approach of identifying what's fixed and what's changing.
  • 4 (00:59) **What Normal Pressure Control Should Look Like** - The host walks through the expected normal waveforms for pressure control ventilation as a baseline for comparison.
  • 5 (01:38) **First Breath: Bizarre Findings on Flow and Volume** - The first breath doesn't look normal at all, prompting deeper investigation into what's happening.
  • 6 (03:09) **The Mystery: No Expiratory Flow** - A striking abnormality appears during expiration.
  • 7 (04:16) **Second Breath: Auto-PEEP and Reverse Triggering** - The host addresses the second breath, which generated significant debate on Instagram.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

I go over 4 waveforms sent to me from followers! They quite bad so take a listen and let me know what you think!

Only 2/4 are here-- go to my patreon (@pulmtoilet) for the full 4 waveforms and the accompanying PDF to download and annoate along!


https://www.patreon.com/Pulmtoilet/posts/waveform-video-2-167832507?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

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