UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: SIMV Ventilation

Category: Critical Care

Keywords: Simv, critical care, ventilator (PubMed Search)

Posted: 9/15/2015 by Feras Khan, MD (Updated: 3/8/2025)
Click here to contact Feras Khan, MD

SIMV (Synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation)

A common mode of ventilation that all pratitioners should be familiar with
It provides a minimum number of fully assisted breaths synchronized with patient respiratory effort
Patient or time triggered
Flow limited
Volume cycled
Any additional breaths are unassisted and determined by patient effort
SIMV=AC when heavily sedated
The idea is exercise the patients lungs but this can lead to increased work of breathing and fatigue, and prolong extubation when used