[The ventilation procedure in critical patients operated on under extracorporeal circulation]

In an effort to make initial clinical and functional assessment of the "dishabituation" from controlled ventilation by pressure-assisted ventilatory regiments, the authors studied 24 patients in whom valvular prosthesis operations had been performed and who required long-term artificial pulmonary ventilation. The dynamic changes and the parameters observed in one group of patients, designated as control, served as basis for the second, tested group. Half of the patients of the tested group passed through SIMV + Druckunterst and the other half--through Druckunterst-ventilatory regimens, which helped by pressure spontaneous breathing. Such clinical characteristics and functional parameters as: duration of "dishabituation" from assisted breathing, need of re-intubation, changes in oxygen consumption etc, caused by change in the ventilatory regiment, were evaluated and analyzed. The following conclusions were made: 1. Druckunterst has no advantages over SIMV + Druckunterst, as regards the duration of "dishabituation" from assisted breathing: 2. Both pressure-assisted regimens improved [correction of imfr ved] arterial oxygenation, which probably was due to increase in the alveolar volumes, which had been reduced during the bypass circulation period.