Practical applications of monitoring respiratory mechanics in newborn

The authors evaluate the use of data supplied by common systems used to calculate respiratory mechanics in newborns in order to analyse the impact on the management of patients requiring assisted ventilation. Over the past few years, the sale of respiratory monitors that are easier to use and less complicated to manage, as well as being less expensive, has meant that nearly every Neonatal ICU can now determine, in real time, both the causes of respiratory insufficiency and the conditions of the newborn lung during mechanical ventilation to ensure improved adaptation of ventilatory support. Leaving aside a discussion of respiratory physiopathology and the principles regulating pulmonary ventilation, the authors focus on the practical effect that data normally supplied by this type of apparatus (airway pressure, inspiration and expiration airflow, expiration minute volume calculated for each respiratory act, tidal volume, system leaks and dynamic compliance) have on the ventilatory "setting" chosen by the clinician or on the diagnosis of some commonly found situations during neonatal mechanical ventilation. The experience described concerns the impression of clinicians, skilled in the management of patients receiving conventional artificial ventilation but not so attracted by respiratory physiopathology, regarding the value of such instruments. The unanimous positive opinion confirms the thesis whereby respiratory monitoring can certainly help the neonatologist make a real time evaluation of both the causes leading to respiratory failure and the effect on the lung of any therapeutic decisions.