The impact of spontaneous breathing during mechanical ventilation

In patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, controlled mechanical ventilation is generally used in the initial phase to ensure adequate alveolar ventilation, arterial oxygenation, and to reduce work of breathing without causing further damage to the lungs. Although introduced as weaning techniques, partial ventilator support modes have become standard techniques for primary mechanical ventilator support. This review evaluates the physiological and clinical effects of persisting spontaneous breathing during ventilator support in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The improvements in pulmonary gas exchange, systemic blood flow and oxygen supply to the tissue which have been observed when spontaneous breathing has been maintained during mechanical ventilation are reflected in the clinical improvement in the patient's condition. Computer tomography observations demonstrated that spontaneous breathing improves gas exchange by redistribution of ventilation and end-expiratory gas to dependent, juxtadiaphragmatic lung regions and thereby promotes alveolar recruitment. Thus, spontaneous breathing during ventilator support counters the undesirable cyclic alveolar collapse in dependent lung regions. In addition, spontaneous breathing during ventilator support may prevent increase in sedation beyond a level of comfort to adapt the patient to mechanical ventilation which decreases duration of mechanical ventilator support, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and overall costs of care giving.

In view of the recently available data, it can be concluded that maintained spontaneous breathing during mechanical ventilation should not be suppressed even in patients with severe pulmonary functional disorders.