[Effects of ventilation with various end expiratory pressures on extravascular lung water following extracorporeal...

The influence of ventilation with different endexpiratory pressure (0, 5, 10 cm H2O) on extravascular lung water (EVLW) in the period immediately after extracorporeal circulation (ECC) was investigated in a total of 35 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Lung water measurement was performed by using the thermal-green dye double indicator dilution technique with indocyanine green and a microprocessed lung water computer. Ventilation with a moderate PEEP-level (5 cm H2O) led to an intensive reduction in lung water content, whereas EVLW-reduction was less pronounced, when higher PEEP-level (10 cm H2O) was applied. No significant relationship to various hemodynamic parameters, especially pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) or pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) could be seen.