- Plateau pressure represents the pressure required to expand the lungs to a set volume in the absence of flow:
- Reflects the pressure to overcome pulmonary compliance
- This is different from the peak airway pressure, which describes the pressure to expand the lungs during flow:
- Consists of the plateau pressure and the airway pressure
- Influenced by factors other than lung compliance – inspiratory flow rate, ETT size, secretions etc
- The plateau pressure is essential for deriving the “driving pressure.”
- The difference between PEEP and plateau pressure represents the driving pressure
- High driving pressures more predictive of injury than either of the component variables
- The plateau pressure can be measured during a period of no-flow:
- Inspiratory pause manoeuvre can be used on most ventilators
- Pressure should be measured 0.5 seconds into the pause manoeuvre