Introduction: Accurate interpretation of ventilator waveforms is critical in mechanical ventilation management. However, confidence and knowledge levels among frontline clinicians remain unclear, particularly regarding advanced respiratory mechanics and patient-ventilator asynchrony (PVA). Methods: We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study using an online platform to assess critical care professionals’ self-reported confidence in ventilator waveform interpretation and respiratory mechanics. Based on identified gaps, a structured video-based training program was delivered. A follow-up assessment with objective waveform recognition questions evaluated changes in recognition accuracy. Results: Among 971 respondents across 31 provinces, only 14.8% and 15.3% reported expert-level confidence in interpreting peak and plateau airway pressures. Confidence in driving pressure (8.7%), transpulmonary pressure (6.4%), and mechanical power (4.6%) was notably low. Recognition confidence for common PVA types like ineffective triggering was moderate (74.5%), but low for complex patterns such as reverse triggering (41.2%). Post-training assessments completed by 326 participants showed improved recognition of ineffective triggering (from 40.5% to 61.7%, P < 0.05) and double triggering (from 53.1% to 73.0%, P < 0.05), but no significant improvement for reverse triggering or delayed cycling. Conclusions: Chinese critical care professionals demonstrated wide variation in self-reported confidence and performance in ventilator waveform interpretation, especially for advanced parameters and complex PVA patterns. While focused online training can improve recognition of common asynchronies, further integration with clinical context is essential to bridge persistent knowledge gaps.
Pan et al. (Sun,) studied this question.