Central haemodynamics and oxygen transport during CPAP with and without mandatory ventilations

Ten patients, subjected 16 h earlier to open-heart surgery (aortocoronary bypass and/or aortic valve replacement), were studied during the weaning period after postoperative mechanical ventilation. Central haemodynamics and oxygen transport were assessed along with total oxygen consumption during continuous positive airway pressure with four mandatory ventilations per minute (mode CPAP + IMV) and, subsequently, during CPAP alone. During the two modes of ventilation, airway pressure was adjusted to be equal during the spontaneous inspiratory phases. All parameters of haemodynamics, oxygenation and oxygen consumption were found to be essentially satisfactory and unchanged during both modes of ventilation. Our observations suggest that, as the parameters studied were unaltered with the change from CPAP + IMV to CPAP, the use of ventilatory support for these patients during the weaning period (in the form of four mandatory ventilations per minute) appears, in terms of central haemodynamics and oxygen transport, to be well tolerated in cases where adequate spontaneous ventilation is in doubt.