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Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Characterization of the Isolated, Ventilated, and Instrumented Mouse Lung Perfused with Pulsatile Flow
Published on: April 29, 2011
Flow-controlled ventilation versus pressure-controlled ventilation in moderate to severe ARDS patients: a randomized
Julien P van Oosten1, Juliette E Francovich2, Dolf Weller2,3
1Intensive Care, Erasmus Medical Center, Intensive Care Volwassenen, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. j.vanoosten@erasmusmc.nl.
Flow-controlled ventilation (FCV) did not significantly reduce mechanical power (MP) compared to pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) in ARDS patients. FCV showed a trend towards lung overdistension, raising safety concerns.
Area of Science:
- Critical Care Medicine
- Respiratory Physiology
- Mechanical Ventilation
Background:
- Preventing ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is crucial in mechanically ventilated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients.
- High mechanical power (MP) is linked to VILI.
- Flow-controlled ventilation (FCV) is explored for potentially reducing VILI and atelectrauma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare MP between FCV and pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV).
- To evaluate FCV's impact on ventilation distribution and homogeneity using electrical impedance tomography (EIT).
Main Methods:
- A randomized crossover pilot study involving 10 ICU patients with moderate to severe ARDS.
- Patients received 90 minutes of FCV then 90 minutes of PCV, or vice versa.
- Continuous monitoring of pressures, flow, EIT, and repeated blood gas analysis; MP calculated from pressure-volume loops.
Main Results:
- Optimized FCV and PCV yielded similar MP (12.6 vs. 14.8 J/min).
- FCV improved ventilation distribution but showed a trend towards overdistension, particularly in non-dependent lung regions.
- Study halted early due to safety concerns including overdistension and hypercapnia.
Conclusions:
- Optimized FCV resulted in similar MP compared to PCV in ARDS patients.
- FCV demonstrated a tendency towards lung overdistension, indicating potential safety risks.
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