The use of conventional ventilators for high frequency positive pressure ventilation

Ten randomly selected patients were ventilated for defined periods with 2 ventilatory modes: (a) high frequency positive pressure ventilation (HFPPV) (frequency 66-70 min; tidal volume 1-3 ml/kg body weight), (b) conventional IPPV (frequency 16/min; tidal volume (VT) 10-15 ml/kg). This was done successfully using conventional ventilators, and keeping other variables (FIO2, PEEP) constant. Various ventilatory and hemodynamic variables were measured and compared during both modes of ventilation. The most prominent finding was a considerable reduction of cardiac output (CO) and stroke volume (SV) during intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) compared with HFPPV. Peak tracheal pressure was significantly lower during HFPPV. An increase in mean systemic arterial pressure and in oxygen transport was observed during HFPPV, whereas transpulmonary shunt and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) decreased during HFPPV. These findings are in accordance with previously reported advantages of HFPPV, and might be of importance in the treatment of patients with bronchopleural fistula, adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), left ventricular failure and other conditions in which conventional positive pressure ventilation (PPV) fails.