PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Robert M Kacmarek TI - Proportional Assist Ventilation and Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist AID - 10.4187/respcare.01021 DP - 2011 Feb 01 TA - Respiratory Care PG - 140--152 VI - 56 IP - 2 4099 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/2/140.short 4100 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/2/140.full AB - Patient-ventilator synchrony is a common problem with all patients actively triggering the mechanical ventilator. In many cases synchrony can be improved by vigilant adjustments by the managing clinician. However, in most institutions clinicians are not able to spend the time necessary to ensure synchrony in all patients. Proportional assist ventilation (PAV) and neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) were both developed to improve patient-ventilator synchrony by proportionally unloading ventilatory effort and turning control of the ventilatory pattern over to the patient. This paper discusses PAV's and NAVA's theory of operation, general process of application, and the supporting literature.