APRV
Medical abbreviation · Respiratory
| Stands for | Airway pressure release ventilation |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
APRV stands for Airway pressure release ventilation, a respiratory abbreviation.
Ventilator mode that holds a high continuous pressure for most of the breathing cycle, with brief, timed releases to a low pressure that allow carbon dioxide to escape, while the patient breathes spontaneously throughout. It is used to recruit collapsed lung in severe hypoxemia, particularly ARDS.
Example: Switched to APRV: P high 28, P low 0, T high 5.5 s, T low 0.6 s for refractory hypoxemia.
Usage notes
Supporters argue that APRV improves oxygenation and allows less sedation, but trials have not shown a consistent survival advantage over conventional lung-protective ventilation. Settings use unfamiliar terms (P high, P low, T high, T low), and errors can cause large tidal volumes. It is sometimes called bilevel ventilation, which differs from noninvasive BiPAP.
Related abbreviations
More respiratory abbreviations
- AC – Assist-control ventilation
- AECOPD – Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- AERD – Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease
- AHI – Apnea-hypopnea index
- AHRF – Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure
- APAP – Automatic positive airway pressure
- ARDS – Acute respiratory distress syndrome
- ARF – Acute respiratory failure
- ATS – American Thoracic Society
- BAL – Bronchoalveolar lavage
- BiPAP – Bilevel positive airway pressure
- BOOP – Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia
See all 109 respiratory abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.