Skip to airway content
Airway of the MonthRead the patient. Rescue the airway. Run the room.
Airway of the MonthRead the patient. Rescue the airway. Run the room.
Vent control
Vent alarm pathway
Choose the alarm or waveform clue. Each button opens a focused pathway.
High pressure alarmPIP high, pressure limit, hard-to-deliver breath.Low volume / disconnectLow exhaled VT, leak, cuff, circuit, partial extubation.Flow not back to baselineAuto-PEEP / dynamic hyperinflation.Obstructive waveformScooped expiratory limb or prolonged expiration.Dyssynchrony / triggeringIneffective trigger, double trigger, delayed cycling.Apnea / disconnect alarmNo breath, no drive, circuit/tube problem.
About this resource
Created by: Andrew Pirotte, MD; Kyle Brown, MD; Reba Hodge, MD; Amanda Vanderwerf, PharmD, BCEMP; Morgan Kimball, PharmD, BCEMP; Joshua Mohess
Clinical review: Clinical review pending: local ED, ICU, EMS, anesthesia, pharmacy, and pediatric protocol review recommended before bedside teaching rollout.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-23
Next scheduled review: 2027-01-23
Designed for: EM residents, emergency physicians, EMS clinicians, airway educators, and simulation faculty
Important: Educational resource and cognitive-aid guide only; not a bedside order set or substitute for local protocol, medical direction, or clinical judgment.
Website contact: kybrown@kumc.edu