Volume-controlled ventilation with superimposed high frequency ventilation during expiration in healthy and...

In the healthy and surfactant-depleted lungs of five pigs the influence of different forms of high frequency ventilation superimposed on conventional mechanical ventilation during the expiratory phase of the ventilatory cycle (SHFVE) on gas exchange and cardiocirculatory parameters was investigated. Subsequently the effects of end-expiratory flushing (EF), i.e. cleaning the large airways and connecting tubes from the ventilator free from end-expiratory CO2, with a volume greater than the dead space of the large airways and connecting tubes was investigated. SHFVE and EF resulted in a significant improvement in CO2 elimination in both healthy and surfactant-depleted lungs. Furthermore, in stiff lungs, at a certain level of oxygenation and CO2 elimination, SHFVE produced the lowest peak and mean airway pressure without any additional depression of cardiocirculatory parameters.