What is pressure support on ventilation?

A push of air: Pressure support helps move air in when a person inhales, by giving a little extra push to the air. This helps the lungs open up a little more, and helps prevent exhaustion by helping the person work a little less hard to breath.

Assist normal breath: Pressure support breathing on mechanical ventilation is a way to assist a 'normal' breath of a patient with an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube (temporary or longer term 'breathing tube' in the trachea or 'wind pipe' going to the lungs). In other words, each breath that a patient takes on their own is helped but not controlled. Sometimes used to assess if ready to come off the ventilator.