Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
Ex Vivo Porcine Experimental Model for Studying and Teaching Lung Mechanics
Published on: April 19, 2024
Physiological effects of an open lung ventilatory strategy titrated on elastance-derived end-inspiratory
Francesco Staffieri1, Tania Stripoli, Valentina De Monte
1Dipartimento dell'Emergenza e Trapianti d'Organo, Sezione di Chirurgia Veterinaria, Università degli Studi Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Rationale:
In the presence of increased chest wall elastance, the airway pressure does not reflect the lung-distending (transpulmonary) pressure.
Objective:
To compare the physiological effects of a conventional open lung approach titrated for an end-inspiratory airway opening plateau pressure (30 cm H2O) with a transpulmonary open lung approach titrated for a elastance-derived end-inspiratory plateau transpulmonary pressure (26 cm H2O), in a pig model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (HCl inhalation) and reversible chest wall mechanical impairment (chest wall and abdomen restriction).
Methods:
In eight pigs, physiological parameters and computed tomography were recorded under three conditions: 1) conventional open lung approach, normal chest wall; 2) conventional open lung approach, stiff chest wall; and 3) transpulmonary open lung approach, stiff chest wall.
Measurements And Main Results:
As compared with the normal chest wall condition, at end-expiration non aerated lung tissue weight was increased by 116 ± 68 % during the conventional open lung approach and by 28 ± 41 % during the transpulmonary open lung approach (p < .01), whereas cardiac output was decreased by 27 ± 19 % and 22 ± 14 %, respectively (p = not significant).
Conclusion:
In this model, the end-inspiratory transpulmonary open lung approach minimized the impact of chest wall stiffening on alveolar recruitment without causing hemodynamic impairment.
