Positive end-expiratory pressure


Positive end-expiratory pressure is the pressure in the lungs above atmospheric pressure that exists at the end of expiration. The two types of PEEP are extrinsic PEEP and intrinsic PEEP. Pressure that is applied or increased during an inspiration is termed pressure support. PEEP is a therapeutic parameter set in the ventilator, or a complication of mechanical ventilation with air trapping.

Intrinsic (auto-) PEEP

Auto-PEEP is an incomplete expiration prior to the initiation of the next breath causes progressive air trapping. This accumulation of air increases alveolar pressure at the end of expiration, which is referred to as auto-PEEP.
Auto-PEEP develops commonly in high minute ventilation, expiratory flow limitation and expiratory resistance.
Once auto-PEEP is identified, steps should be taken to stop or reduce the pressure build-up. When auto-PEEP persists despite management of its underlying cause, applied PEEP may be helpful if the patient has an expiratory flow limitation.

Extrinsic (applied) PEEP

Applied PEEP is usually one of the first ventilator settings chosen when mechanical ventilation is initiated. It is set directly on the ventilator.
A small amount of applied PEEP is used in most mechanically ventilated patients to mitigate end-expiratory alveolar collapse. A higher level of applied PEEP is sometimes used to improve hypoxemia or reduce ventilator-associated lung injury in patients with acute lung injury, acute [respiratory distress syndrome], or other types of hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Complications and effects

Positive end-expiratory pressure can contribute to:
, an English anaesthetist and physician, is credited with discovering PEEP.
When his discovery was published in the proceedings of the World Congress of Anaesthesia in 1968, Inkster called it Residual Positive Pressure.