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Effect of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation on the upper airways of kittens
D Liu1, K Miyasaka, S Nakagawa
1National Children's Medical Research Center and the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, National Children's Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Background:
High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) has become the preferred method of ventilation for the fragile lungs of neonates and infants because its beneficial effects on lungs are well known; however, its benefits on upper airways are not yet known. We investigated the effects of HFOV and conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) on the airways of kittens with normal lungs.
Methods:
Ten healthy cross-bred kittens, 2-3-months-old, with a mean bodyweight of 0.98 kg, were randomly divided into two groups: HFOV and CMV. Kittens were intubated and ventilated for 24 h. A semiquantitative scoring system was used to grade histopathological tissue changes in the cricoid, mid-trachea, carina and left bonchus. The injury scores of the two groups were ranked and compared using a two-tailed Mann-Whitney rank test.
Results:
Histopathologic changes were similar and mild in both groups under light microscopic examination. There was no significant difference in airway injury between the two groups.
Conclusions:
We conclude that, in this animal model, HFOV results in minimal airway damage when properly managed and causes no greater tracheobronchial injury than CMV.