What key settings must be monitored on a ventilator?

Monitoring the key settings on a ventilator is crucial for ensuring effective respiratory support and patient safety. The correct choice highlights the primary parameters that directly affect ventilation and oxygenation.

Tidal volume is the amount of air delivered to the lungs with each breath, which is essential for ensuring that the patient receives an adequate volume of air for proper gas exchange. The respiratory rate reflects how many ventilator-assisted breaths the patient receives per minute, which is vital in maintaining adequate minute ventilation and preventing respiratory alkalosis or acidosis. PEEP, or Positive End-Expiratory Pressure, helps keep the alveoli open at the end of expiration, improving oxygenation and preventing atelectasis. FiO2, or the fraction of inspired oxygen, determines the concentration of oxygen delivered to the patient, critical for maintaining adequate blood oxygen levels, especially in patients with respiratory failure.

Each of these factors plays a significant role in managing a patient's ventilation adequately and ensuring optimal gas exchange, making this combination of parameters essential for monitoring alongside ventilatory support. The other options include parameters that may be important in overall patient management but do not specifically focus on the ventilatory settings that directly influence airway management and respiratory function.