[Continuous positive airway pressure and high-frequency independent lung ventilation in patients with chronic...

The original hypoxemia, hypercapnia, high pulmonary hypertension, high resistance of microcirculation vessels, right volumetric ventricular overload, persistent sub-edema of pulmonary intersticium as well as disparity of ventilation and perfusion between both lungs are the main problems in patients with chronic obstructive disease of the lungs (CODL). Such patients are, as a rule, intolerant to the independent lung collaboration or artificial single-stage ventilation (ASV). Patients with respiratory insufficiency, stages 2 and 3, and with a pronounced impaired type of ventilation have originally a deranged blood gas composition, like hypoxemia or hypercapnia. The application of volume-controllable bi-pulmonary ASV in such patients maintains an adequate gas exchange hemodynamics. However, ASV is accompanied by a significantly reduced gas-exchange function of the single ventilated lung and by essentially worsened intrapulmonary hemodynamics. Therefore, what is needed is to use alternative methods of independent lung ventilation in order to eliminate the gas-exchange impairments and to enable surgical interventions at thoracic organs in such patients (who are intolerant to ASV). A choice of a method and means of oxygen supply to the independent lung is of great importance. The possibility to avoid a high pressure in the airways, while maintaining, simultaneously, an adequate gas exchange, makes the method related with maintaining a constant positive pressure in the airways (CPPA) a priority one in case of CODL patients. The use of constant high-frequency ventilation in the independent lung in patients with obstructive pulmonary lesions does not improve the gas exchange or hemodynamics. Simultaneously, a growing total pulmonary resistance and an increasing pressure in the pulmonary artery are observed. Consequently, the discussed method must not be used for the ventilation support of the independent lung in patients with the obstructive type of the impaired external breathing function.