Significance of bulk convection during high-frequency oscillation

In 7 anesthetized supine dogs with an anatomic dead space of 115-162 ml, gas transport during high-frequency oscillation (HFO) was investigated at an oscillatory frequency of 15 Hz. Starting with an oscillatory volume effectively delivered to the lungs (VDEL) of 60 ml, measured on line with an ultrasonic airflow meter, VDEL was reduced in steps of 10 ml, down to a VDEL of 30 ml, whereby fresh gas flow rate, airway occlusion pressure and lung volume above functional residual capacity were kept constant. An HFO-circuit without bias tube was used. The volume of endotracheal tube and three port connector, designated as HFO-circuit related rebreathing volume, was 35 ml. PaCO2 continuously increased, when VDEL was reduced from 60 ml to 40 ml and the data fit perfectly to a reciprocal regression (1/PaCO2 = a + b.VDEL), r2 ranging from 0.95 to 1.00. Measured PaCO2 values at a VDEL of 30 ml (8.26 +/- 1.77 kPa), however, were significantly (P less than 0.025) higher than PaCO2 values predicted by the individual reciprocal regression equations (6.25 +/- 1.46 kPa). This overproportionate increase in PaCO2 due to a reduction of VDEL from 40 ml to 30 ml may be explained by the sudden drop out of bulk convection as a gas transport mechanism between central airways and the surrounding because bulk convection is only possible as long as VDEL exceeds the HFO-circuit related rebreathing volume. Bulk convection therefore is considered an essential gas transport mechanism during HFO and the efficiency of CO2 elimination during HFO is critically dependent on the net oscillatory volume, i.e. VDEL minus the HFO-circuit related rebreathing volume and not on the relationship between VDEL and anatomic dead space.