Transairway pressure is the difference between which two pressures?

Transairway pressure is the difference between which two pressures?

• A. PIP and PEEP
• B. PIP and Pplat
• C. Pplat and PEEP
• D. Paw and PEEP

Answer: (D)

Transairway pressure is the pressure gradient driving gas through the conducting airways. It represents the difference between the pressure at the airway opening and the end-expiratory baseline within the airways. In practice this is Paw minus PEEP, because Paw is the pressure at the mouth/opening and PEEP is the baseline pressure kept in the airways at end expiration. This reflects the driving force for flow through the airways, independent of the alveolar or lung tissue pressures. For example, if Paw is 25 cmH2O and PEEP is 5 cmH2O, the transairway pressure is 20 cmH2O.

Transairway pressure is the pressure gradient driving gas through the conducting airways. It represents the difference between the pressure at the airway opening and the end-expiratory baseline within the airways. In practice this is Paw minus PEEP, because Paw is the pressure at the mouth/opening and PEEP is the baseline pressure kept in the airways at end expiration. This reflects the driving force for flow through the airways, independent of the alveolar or lung tissue pressures. For example, if Paw is 25 cmH2O and PEEP is 5 cmH2O, the transairway pressure is 20 cmH2O.