When a respiratory therapist notices the pressure manometer needle falls back to -10 cm H2O during IPPB therapy, what should they do to address this?

When the pressure manometer needle falls back to -10 cm H2O during Intermittent Positive Pressure Breathing (IPPB) therapy, it indicates that the pressure within the breathing circuit has fallen below the atmospheric pressure. This situation typically means that the patient may not be triggering the device adequately or that the sensitivity to the patient's effort is set too low.

Increasing the sensitivity of the unit allows for easier triggering of the breath, making it more responsive to the patient's efforts to breathe in. This adjustment helps ensure that inhalation begins at the appropriate time during the therapy, thereby improving the effectiveness of the treatment. By addressing the sensitivity setting, the therapist can facilitate better patient comfort and enhance the overall effectiveness of IPPB therapy.