Mechanical ventilation with superimposed high frequency oscillation in the normal rat

The gas exchange efficacy of high frequency oscillations superimposed on conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV-HFO) was assessed in 24 normal rats. These animals were anesthetized, paralyzed, tracheotomized and placed in a body box in order to measure the magnitude of the CMV tidal volume and that of the superimposed oscillations. The frequency of oscillations was 20 Hz and the mechanical ventilator delivered a tidal volume of 5 ml/kg at a rate of 50 min-1 which corresponded to a slight alveolar hypoventilation. Four groups of animals were studied with two magnitudes of oscillation (0.75 and 1.25 ml/kg) and with two different volumes of instrumental dead space. Blood gases were measured during CMV-HFO and during CMV alone from blood samples taken from a carotid artery. There were no significant differences in arterial PCO2 during these two modes of ventilation except a decrease in the group with large amplitude oscillations and a small dead space in which the oscillations alone could ensure quasi-normal gas exchange. By contrast in 20 out of 24 animals there was a decrease of alveolar - arterial oxygen difference with CMV-HFO even in the case of small oscillations and a large dead space. These results suggest that VA/Q homogeneity is improved by interregional and/or intraregional redistribution of ventilation due to the high frequency oscillations superimposed on conventional mechanical ventilation.