Figure 8
From: Clinical review: Respiratory mechanics in spontaneous and assisted ventilation
Calculating the work of breathing during spontaneous ventilation using an esophageal balloon. Area A represents the work to move air into and out of the lungs. Area B represents the work to expand the chest wall and is calculated from a pressure–volume curve in a passive patient receiving a mechanically generated breath. The sum of A and B represents the total work of breathing, and it can be determined through integration of the product of esophageal pressure and flow. Reprinted from [1] with permission from Elsevier.