[Changes in lung compliance during extracorporeal gas exchange in the premature lamb]

Changes in the function of the lungs were investigated in 14 premature lambs during extracorporeal CO2 removal via membrane lungs with alveolar oxygen diffusion of the nonventilated lung by measuring the pressure volume curves at various moments after the start of perfusion via the endotracheal tube. During the course of the perfusion the static compliance clearly increases. In less than 6 hours the optimum of the "conditioning" appears to have been reached using this treatment.