What is a characteristic of pressure support ventilation?

Pressure support ventilation is designed to assist a patient's spontaneous breathing efforts by providing a preset pressure during inspiration, which enhances tidal volume delivery based on the patient's own effort. This method allows the volume of air delivered to vary based on the patient's lung compliance; when lung compliance is high, the volume delivered will be greater, and conversely, when compliance is low, the volume will be less due to the same level of pressure being applied.

This is in contrast to traditional modes of ventilation where tidal volume or peak inspiratory pressure is predetermined. In pressure support ventilation, the crucial component is that the volume delivered is not fixed but instead is contingent upon the interaction between the patient's own breathing effort and the respiratory system's mechanics. This characteristic makes the pressure support mode particularly useful in promoting patient comfort and reducing the work of breathing while allowing for patient involvement in ventilation.