What are the main benefits of PEEP in mechanical ventilation?

Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) is a crucial setting in mechanical ventilation that contributes to various benefits in lung mechanics and gas exchange. The main advantages of PEEP are centered around its ability to increase functional residual capacity (FRC), recruit collapsed or under-ventilated alveoli, and enhance lung compliance.

By maintaining some pressure in the airways at the end of expiration, PEEP prevents complete alveolar collapse, effectively recruiting lung units that may not be participating in gas exchange due to fluid, atelectasis, or other reasons. This recruitment improves overall gas exchange, thereby enhancing oxygenation. Additionally, an increase in FRC helps to keep more of the lung volumes available for ventilation, optimizing the ventilation-perfusion matching within the lungs.

In the context of lung compliance, by increasing FRC and recruiting more alveoli, PEEP can help improve compliance during mechanical ventilation. This can reduce the work of breathing and improve overall patient outcomes, especially in patients with conditions such as Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

The other options do not accurately reflect the physiological principles behind PEEP. Therefore, the focus on increased FRC, alveolar recruitment, and increased compliance aligns correctly with the primary benefits of utilizing PEEP