The nurse has a patient on mechanical ventilation and the pulmonologist wants the patient to receive 10 breaths/min from the ventilator but wants to encourage the patient to breathe spontaneously in between the mechanical breaths at his own tidal volume. What is this mode of ventilation called?

Rationale: A. Intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV) is correct because IMV delivers a preset number of mandatory breaths per minute while allowing the patient to breathe spontaneously in between these breaths. The patient controls the rate and tidal volume of the spontaneous breaths, which helps maintain respiratory muscle function and promotes weaning from mechanical ventilation. B. Controlled ventilation is incorrect because in this mode, the ventilator delivers all breaths at a preset rate and tidal volume, regardless of the patient’s own respiratory efforts. The patient cannot trigger spontaneous breaths, making it less suitable for patients who can breathe partially on their own. C. Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is incorrect because PEEP is not a mode of ventilation; it is a ventilator setting that maintains positive pressure in the lungs at the end of exhalation. PEEP helps improve oxygenation but does not determine the mode or rate of breaths. D. Assist/control ventilation (A/C) is incorrect because in A/C mode, the ventilator delivers a preset tidal volume with every patient-initiated breath, and also provides mandatory breaths at a set rate if the patient does not initiate them. While it allows some patient-initiated breaths, the tidal volume is controlled by the ventilator, not the patient’s spontaneous effort as in IMV.