Why might a fluidically powered transport ventilator deliver fewer breaths than set?

The reason a fluidically powered transport ventilator might deliver fewer breaths than the set rate is due to low tank pressure. In a fluidically powered ventilator system, the function relies on a specific pressure range from the gas supply. If the tank pressure is low, it can result in insufficient gas flow to create the necessary ventilatory pressure and volume, thereby causing the ventilator to fail to deliver the expected number of breaths. This pressure deficit may lead to incomplete or irregular delivery of breaths, which is critical for effective ventilation.

On the other hand, while issues like an unseated PEEP valve, faulty exhalation valve, or depleted batteries may affect ventilation, they typically do not directly impact the delivery rate in the same way that low tank pressure does. A malfunctioning exhalation valve might lead to issues such as inadequate exhalation and breaths stacking but would not fundamentally limit the number of breaths initiated by the set rate as a low gas supply would. Similarly, a PEEP valve issue primarily concerns maintaining positive end-expiratory pressure rather than the actual breath count.