Patients on elevated levels of PEEP might experience which of the following responses?

In patients receiving elevated levels of Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP), hypotension can occur due to several physiological responses. PEEP increases intrathoracic pressure, which can compress the heart and great vessels, ultimately leading to a decrease in venous return to the heart. This reduction in venous return can impair cardiac output, causing blood pressure to drop, resulting in hypotension.

Furthermore, elevated PEEP helps in recruiting collapsed alveoli and improving oxygenation but can hinder hemodynamics by limiting the capacity of the heart to fill effectively during diastole. It's important for healthcare providers to monitor patients on high PEEP settings closely for signs of hemodynamic instability and adjust ventilation parameters as needed.

In contrast, while hypertension can be a response under certain conditions, it is typically less common with high PEEP, and hypercapnia can occur due to inadequate ventilation rather than directly from PEEP levels. Increased tidal volume is not a direct consequence of elevated PEEP; in fact, it could lead to restricted tidal volumes if lung mechanics are altered.