The effect of artificial ventilation on FRC and arterial oxygenation. 1. Rapid shallow ventilation at normal and low arterial carbon dioxide tensions

Clinical evaluation of high-frequency positive-pressure ventilation (HFPPV) in laryngoscoy under general anaesthesia

A technique for automatic ventilation during laryngoscopy under general anaesthesia was evaluated in a lung model and in 5 patients (3--57 y) submitted for routine laryngoscopy. this technique has been given the name laryngoscopic HFPPV and utilizes an insufflation frequency (f) of 60 per min and a relative insufflation time (t%) of 22%. Ventilation is given via a nasotracheal insufflation catheter. Laryngoscopic HFPPV permits laryngeal surgery with a virtually unobstructed surgical field under complete muscular relaxation. The alveolar ventilation of the patient may be controlled by adjustment of the pressure of the anaesthetic gas mixture and there is no air entrainment through the larynx during insufflation. This makes possible use of O2/N2O mixtures and the oxygenation of the patient may be controlled by adjustment of the oxygen concentration of the anaesthetic gas mixture. As there is a continuous upward has flow through the larynx, blood or pieces of loose tissue are not sucked down into the trachea. A simple ventilation nomogram for clinical use is proposed. Adequately used, this nomogram guarantees safe ventilation during laryngoscopic HFPPV. An Fio2 of 0.3--0.4 gives adequate arterial oxygenation.

Effect of different respirator adjustments on central haemodynamics in open-heart surgery patients

Changes in cardiac index (CI) mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), central venous pressure (CVP), and pulmonary artery vascular resistance (PVR), associated with spontaneous respiration (SR) and two different types of intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPPV and IPNPV) were studied in a total of 17 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement or myocardial revascularization. Swan-Ganz thermodilution pulmonary artery cardiac output catheters were used and the aim was to determine: whether postoperative cardiac output may paradoxically be greater during IPPPV than during IPNPV or SR; whether the use of "negative" pressure in the expiratory phase during controlled ventilation may be responsible for bringing about the central haemodynamic conditions prevailing during spontaneous respiration; and whether, in weaning from postoperative IPPPV to SR, there is a risk of pulmonary congestion as a consequence of possible autotransfusion. IPPPV connected with anaesthesia induction caused a highly significant deterioration central haemodynamics. The use of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is not to be recommended for such patients at this stage. On the first postoperative day, the mean CI was lower during IPPPV than during IPNPV (P less than 0.1) or during SR (P less than 0.05). The changes observed in CI, were, however, so slight that the authors consider the routine use of PEEP to be beneficial during controlled ventilation following major open-heart surgery. In some patients, the CI was paradoxically higher during IPPPV than during IPNPV or SR. The mean CI was nearly the same during IPNPV (3.32) as during SR (3.38). However, PAP, PCWP and PVR values were significantly higher during SR than during IPNPV. Thus, according to this study, the use of "negative" end-expiratory pressure during controlled ventilation did not in these patients produce central pressure conditions corresponding to spontaneous respiration. The present study supports the finding that in weaning from controlled ventilation with PEEP to SR there is a danger of pulmonary congestion. This could be predicted by measurement of pulmonary wedge pressure, but not by measurement of central venous pressure.