Recruitment Maneuver in Elderly Patients with Different Peripheral Chemoreflex Sensitivity during Major Abdominal...

The goal of the study was to evaluate the effect of a recruitment maneuver on respiratory biomechanics, oxygenation, and hemodynamics in patients suffering from chronic heart failure with different peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity. The study was conducted in 115 elderly patients which underwent major abdominal surgery under general/epidural surgery. Peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity (PCS) was evaluated with breath-holding duration (BHD) during breath-holding test. All patients were divided into two groups: group H had a high PCS (BHD = 38 seconds or less, n = 49); Group M had a middle PCS (BHD more than 38 seconds, n = 66). Recruitment maneuver improved oxygenation and respiratory biomechanics in all cases. However, cardiac output decreased by an average of 18%-31% in group H compared to 18%-28% in group M. SVR either remained unchanged or decreased by up to 14% of the initial value in group H, while, in group M, it had a tendency to increase, which was 24% of the initial value. So, recruitment maneuver is an effective method to improve oxygenation and biomechanical properties of the respiratory system but in patients with increased peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity it associates with the risk of hemodynamic disturbances.