[High-frequency jet ventilation and the function of the right heart--an animal experimental study]

In a controlled study, 10 dogs with normal and severely damaged lungs were subjected to nuclide angiocardiographic investigations into the function of the right ventricle. The pulmonary injury was produced by infusion of oleic acid (OA) into the right atrium during controlled ventilation (IPPV). The angiocardiographic examinations were performed using 133Xenon in the first pass technique. The study compared HFJV (HFJV 100, HFJV 300) with IPPV in the non-damaged lung as well as HFJV 300 with IPPV and CPPV (PEEP 1.0 kPa) after injury by OA. Whereas for the non-damaged lung no different right ventricular (RV) function between IPPV and HFJV was observed, the RV functional parameters after OA injury under HFJV showed, as opposed to CPPV, more favourable values on the whole. This became clear in particular in the significantly higher ejection fraction (RVEF) during HFJV. The RV function which is influenced during CPPV in terms of a favourable oxygenation is the consequence of an increased mean pressure in the airways with subsequent rise in the RV afterload and decrease in the RV preload. In contrast, the more favourable RV haemodynamics during HFJV are associated with a comparatively lower mean airway pressure and a significantly worse oxygenation. As the RV function also during HFJV has to be seen in direct dependence on the mean airway or intrapulmonary pressure necessary for sufficient oxygenation, the employment of this form of ventilation in the presence of an acute respiratory insufficiency has no impact on the RV haemodynamics different from the other compared forms of ventilation.