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Hermann Wrigge

Publications and source records attributed to Hermann Wrigge.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Effects of a single-lung recruitment maneuver on the systemic release of inflammatory mediators.

OBJECTIVE: To study the hypothesis, that systemic levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines may be affected by a single recruitment maneuver in mechanically ventilated patients. DESIGN: Prospective, interventional clinical trial. SETTING: Intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Sixteen mechanically ventilated patients with clinical and radiological signs of atelectasis. INTERVENTIONS: A single recruitment maneuver (RM) was performed by elevating the airway pressure to 40 cmH(2)O for 7s. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Plasmatic concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), arterial blood gases and hemodynamic parameters were measured immediately before and 5-360 min after the RM. The RM caused a minor, nevertheless significant improvement of oxygenation (p = 0.02) and carbon dioxide elimination (p=0.006) as well as a moderate drop of the mean arterial pressure (p=0.025). In contrast, plasma concentrations remained unaffected by the RM in all six mediators measured. CONCLUSION: A single inflation with an airway pressure of 40cmH(2)O for 7 s improved gas exchange only slightly and did not modify systemic levels of inflammatory mediators in mechanically ventilated patients with radiological evidence of atelectasis.

Adult↗

The impact of spontaneous breathing during mechanical ventilation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, controlled mechanical ventilation is generally used in the initial phase to ensure adequate alveolar ventilation, arterial oxygenation, and to reduce work of breathing without causing further damage to the lungs. Although introduced as weaning techniques, partial ventilator support modes have become standard techniques for primary mechanical ventilator support. This review evaluates the physiological and clinical effects of persisting spontaneous breathing during ventilator support in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. RECENT FINDINGS: The improvements in pulmonary gas exchange, systemic blood flow and oxygen supply to the tissue which have been observed when spontaneous breathing has been maintained during mechanical ventilation are reflected in the clinical improvement in the patient's condition. Computer tomography observations demonstrated that spontaneous breathing improves gas exchange by redistribution of ventilation and end-expiratory gas to dependent, juxtadiaphragmatic lung regions and thereby promotes alveolar recruitment. Thus, spontaneous breathing during ventilator support counters the undesirable cyclic alveolar collapse in dependent lung regions. In addition, spontaneous breathing during ventilator support may prevent increase in sedation beyond a level of comfort to adapt the patient to mechanical ventilation which decreases duration of mechanical ventilator support, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and overall costs of care giving. SUMMARY: In view of the recently available data, it can be concluded that maintained spontaneous breathing during mechanical ventilation should not be suppressed even in patients with severe pulmonary functional disorders.

Analgesia↗

The effects of mechanical ventilation on the gut and abdomen.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Mechanical ventilation generates an increase in airway pressure and, therefore, in intrathoracic pressure, which may decrease systemic and intraabdominal organ perfusion. Critically ill patients rarely die of hypoxia and/or hypercarbia but commonly develop a systemic inflammatory response that culminates in multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome and death. In the pathogeneses of this syndrome the gastrointestinal tract and liver have received considerable attention. RECENT FINDINGS: Mechanical ventilation with high positive end-expiratory pressure has been found to decrease splanchnic perfusion. Hepatic arterial buffer response is preserved and an increased hepatic arterial blood flow will compensate the decrease in portal blood flow. Despite an increased cardiac output with an acute moderate increase in arterial PCO2 during protective ventilation it cannot be expected that splanchnic and gut perfusion is improved. In the absence of a significant rise in intraabdominal pressure without impairment in cardiovascular function, splanchnic and gastrointestinal function remained unchanged during short periods of prone positioning. Spontaneous breathing during ventilator support improves systemic blood flow and gastrointestinal and splanchnic perfusion. SUMMARY: In critically ill patients mechanical ventilation should be adjusted to avoid conditions known to be associated with decreased gastrointestinal and splanchnic perfusion.

Abdomen↗

Spontaneous breathing with airway pressure release ventilation favors ventilation in dependent lung regions and counters cyclic alveolar collapse in oleic-acid-induced lung injury: a randomized controlled computed tomography trial.

INTRODUCTION: Experimental and clinical studies have shown a reduction in intrapulmonary shunt with spontaneous breathing during airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) in acute lung injury. This reduction was related to reduced atelectasis and increased aeration. We hypothesized that spontaneous breathing will result in better ventilation and aeration of dependent lung areas and in less cyclic collapse during the tidal breath. METHODS: In this randomized controlled experimental trial, 22 pigs with oleic-acid-induced lung injury were randomly assigned to receive APRV with or without spontaneous breathing at comparable airway pressures. Four hours after randomization, dynamic computed tomography scans of the lung were obtained in an apical slice and in a juxtadiaphragmatic transverse slice. Analyses of regional attenuation were performed separately in nondependent and dependent halves of the lungs on end-expiratory scans and end-inspiratory scans. Tidal changes were assessed as differences between inspiration and expiration of the mechanical breaths. RESULTS: Whereas no differences were observed in the apical slices, spontaneous breathing resulted in improved tidal ventilation of dependent lung regions (P < 0.05) and less cyclic collapse (P < 0.05) in the juxtadiaphragmatic slices. In addition, with spontaneous breathing, the end-expiratory aeration increased and nonaerated tissue decreased in dependent lung regions close to the diaphragm (P < 0.05 for the interaction ventilator mode and lung region). CONCLUSION: Spontaneous breathing during APRV redistributes ventilation and aeration to dependent, usually well-perfused, lung regions close to the diaphragm, and may thereby contribute to improved arterial oxygenation. Spontaneous breathing also counters cyclic collapse, which is a risk factor for ventilation-associated lung injury.

Animals↗

Mechanical ventilation strategies and inflammatory responses to cardiac surgery: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether postoperative mechanical ventilation with lower tidal volumes (V(T)) has protective effects on inflammatory responses induced by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery in smokers and nonsmokers. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial in the intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: We examined 44 patients (22 smokers, 22 nonsmokers) immediately after uncomplicated CPB surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Ventilation was applied for 6 h with either V(T) of either 6 or 12 ml/kg ideal body weight. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The time course of serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, interleukin (IL) 6, and IL-8 determined 0, 2, 4, and 6 h after randomization did not differ significantly between the ventilatory strategies. By contrast, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids sampled after 6 h only TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in the high V(T) group than the low V(T) group (50+/-111 pg/ml vs. 1+/-7 pg/ml). IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations did not differ between groups. Subgroup analysis of patients with serum TNF-alpha level higher than 0 pg/ml after surgery revealed lower TNF-alpha serum levels during lower V(T) ventilation. All observed effects were small, independent of patients' history of smoking, and were not correlated with duration of ventilation and ICU stay. CONCLUSIONS: Ventilation with lower V(T) had no or only minor effect on systemic and pulmonary inflammatory responses in patients with healthy lungs after uncomplicated CPB surgery. Our data do not suggest a clinical benefit of using low V(T) ventilation in these selected patients.

Aged↗

Assisted breathing is better in acute respiratory failure.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Mechanical ventilation is usually provided in acute lung injury to ensure alveolar ventilation and reduce the patients' work of breathing without further damaging the lungs by the treatment itself. Although partial ventilatory support modalities were initially developed for weaning from mechanical ventilation, they are increasingly used as primary modes of ventilation, even in patients in the acute phase of pulmonary dysfunction. The aim of this paper is to review the role of spontaneous breathing ventilatory modalities with respect to their physiologic or clinical evidence. RECENT FINDINGS: By allowing patients with acute lung injury to breathe spontaneously, one can expect improvement in gas exchange and in systemic blood flow, on the basis of both experimental and clinical trials. In addition, by increasing end-expiratory lung volume, as will occur when airway pressure release ventilation is used, recruitment of collapsed or consolidated lung is likely to occur, especially in juxtadiaphragmatic lung regions. Until recently, traditional approaches to mechanical ventilatory support of patients with acute lung injury have called for adaptation of the patient to the mechanical ventilator using heavy sedation and administration of neuromuscular blocking agents. Recent investigations have questioned the utility of sedation, muscle paralysis, and mechanical control of ventilation. Further, evidence exists that lowering sedation levels will decrease the duration of mechanical ventilatory support, the length of stay in the intensive care unit, and the overall costs of hospitalization. SUMMARY: On the basis of currently available data, the authors suggest the use of techniques of mechanical ventilatory support that maintain, rather than suppress, spontaneous ventilatory effort, especially in patients with severe pulmonary dysfunction.

Analgesia↗

Spontaneous breathing affects the spatial ventilation and perfusion distribution during mechanical ventilatory support.

OBJECTIVE: In acute respiratory failure, gas exchange improves with spontaneous breathing during airway pressure release ventilation (APRV). The mechanisms for this improvement are not fully clear. We have shown that APRV with spontaneous breathing reopens nonaerated lung tissue in dorsal juxtadiaphragmatic regions. We hypothesized that spontaneous breathing during APRV may redistribute ventilation and perfusion toward these reopened regions. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled study. SETTING: Animal research laboratory SUBJECTS: Twenty controlled mechanically ventilated pigs. INTERVENTIONS: Lung injury was induced by injection of oleic acid into the central circulation; thereafter, pigs were randomized to APRV with or without spontaneous breathing. To induce spontaneous breathing during APRV with spontaneous breathing, the mechanical respiratory rate was decreased by 50% in this group. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We measured respiratory mechanics, hemodynamics, gas exchange including the multiple inert gas elimination technique, and the spatial ventilation and perfusion distribution using single photon emission tomography. At similar minute ventilation and airway pressures, shunt remained stable during APRV with spontaneous breathing, whereas it increased during APRV without spontaneous breathing during the 2-hr study period (p = .006). Single photon emission tomography showed more ventilation (p < .001) and pulmonary blood (p < .025) flow in dorsal, juxtadiaphragmatic lung regions when spontaneous breathing was present. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effects of spontaneous breathing on intrapulmonary shunt and oxygenation are explained both by increased ventilation of aerated dependent lung tissue and by opening up nonaerated tissue so that ventilation is distributed to a larger share of the lung. Redistribution of perfusion is possibly secondary to the altered ventilation. The overall effect is a more efficient use of available lung tissue for gas exchange.

Animals↗

Proportional assist versus pressure support ventilation in patients with acute respiratory failure: cardiorespiratory responses to artificially increased ventilatory demand.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that in response to increased ventilatory demand, dynamic inspiratory pressure assistance better compensates for increased workload compared with static pressure support ventilation (PSV). DESIGN: Randomized clinical crossover study. SETTING: General intensive care u nits of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Twelve patients with acute respiratory failure. INTERVENTIONS: Patients received PSV, proportional assist ventilation (PAV), and PAV+ automatic tube compensation (ATC) in random order while maintaining mean inspiratory airway pressure constant. During each setting, ventilatory demand was increased by adding deadspace without ventilator readjustment. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Cardiorespiratory, ventilatory, and work of breathing variables were assessed by routine monitoring plus pneumotachography; airway, esophageal, and abdominal pressure measurements; and nitrogen washout. After deadspace addition, tidal volume and end-expiratory lung volume increased similarly in all ventilatory modalities. Ventilator work, peak inspiratory flow, and maximum airway pressure increased significantly during PAV+ATC when compared with PSV after deadspace addition. However, increase in ventilator work did not result in a smaller increase in patients' work of breathing with elevated ventilatory demand during PAV+ATC (PSV 807 +/- 204 mJ/L, PAV 802 +/- 193 mJ/L, and PAV+ATC 715 +/- 202 mJ/L, p = .11). Increase in patients' work of breathing was mainly caused by a significantly higher resistive workload during PAV and PAV+ATC. CONCLUSION: In patients with acute respiratory failure, dynamic inspiratory pressure assistance modalities are not superior to PSV with respect to cardiorespiratory function and inspiratory muscles unloading after increasing ventilatory demand. The latter might be explained by higher peak flows resulting in nonlinearly increased resistive workload that was incompletely compensated by PAV+ATC.

Acute Disease↗

Methodologic aspects of attenuation distributions from static and dynamic thoracic CT techniques in experimental acute lung injury.

BACKGROUND: In acute lung injury, thoracic CT is used to gain information about lung aeration and consolidation. This can be done either during breath-holding by spiral CT scanning of the entire lung or dynamically by scanning lung slices without interrupting ventilation. We hypothesized that attenuation distribution is dependent on static or dynamic scanning techniques. We also studied whether a variation in the CT cut level, corresponding to the diaphragm movement over a breath, had any effect on the attenuation distribution. METHODS: Twenty-two pigs with oleic acid-induced lung injury were randomly assigned to receive pressure-controlled mechanical ventilation with or without spontaneous breathing. Transversal dynamic CT scans of the chest were performed in apical and juxtadiaphragmatic regions, and end-expiratory and end-inspiratory slices were selected. In addition, after clamping the tube at end-expiration and end-inspiration, respectively, spiral CTs were performed. Guided by morphologic structures, spiral CT slices matching the dynamic scan slice and three additional neighbored slices above the diaphragm were selected. Distributions of CT attenuation were calculated and summarized in ranges for comparison. RESULTS: No significant difference in attenuation distributions between the two scanning methods or an interaction with the factors ventilation mode, ventilation phase, and attenuation range were found. In addition, attenuation distributions of four neighbored juxtadiaphragmatic slices, 8 mm thick, from the spiral CT did not differ statistically. CONCLUSION: In an animal model of oleic acid-induced lung injury, analyses of transverse thoracic slices based on dynamic or static CT scanning showed comparable distributions of attenuation. Variations on the CT cut level of 24 mm had no significant effect on the distribution of Hounsfield unit numbers. CT attenuation distributions of transversal juxtadiaphragmatic slices were not dependent on exact position.

Animals↗

Effects of spontaneous breathing during airway pressure release ventilation on respiratory work and muscle blood flow in experimental lung injury.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of spontaneous breathing at ambient airway pressure (Paw) and during airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) on respiratory work and respiratory muscle blood flow (RMBF) in experimental lung injury. DESIGN: Prospective experimental study. SETTING: Research laboratory of a university hospital. SUBJECTS: Twelve hemodynamically stable, analgosedated, and tracheotomized domestic pigs. MEASUREMENTS: Respiratory work was estimated by the inspiratory pressure time product (PTPinsp) of esophageal pressure, and RMBF was measured with colored microspheres. Lung injury was induced with IV boli of oleic acid. The first set of measurements was performed before induction of lung injury while pigs were breathing spontaneously at ambient Paw, the second after induction of lung injury while breathing spontaneously at ambient Paw, and the third with lung injury and spontaneous breathing with APRV. RESULTS: After induction of lung injury PTPinsp increased from 138 +/- 14 to 214 +/- 32 cm H2O s/min when pigs breathed spontaneously at ambient Paw (p < 0.05) and returned to 128 +/- 27 cm H2O s/min during APRV. While systemic hemodynamics and blood flow to the psoatic and intercostal muscles did not change, diaphragmatic blood flow increased from 0.34 +/- 0.05 before to 0.54 +/- 0.08 mL/g/min after induction of lung injury and spontaneous breathing at ambient Paw (p < 0.05) and returned to 0.32 +/- 0.05 mL/g/min during APRV (p < 0.05 vs spontaneous breathing at ambient Paw [lung injury]). CONCLUSION: Respiratory work and RMBF are increased in acute lung injury when subjects breathe spontaneously at ambient Paw. Supporting spontaneous breathing with APRV decreases respiratory work and RMBF to physiologic values.

Animals↗

Clinical review: biphasic positive airway pressure and airway pressure release ventilation.

This review focuses on mechanical ventilation strategies that allow unsupported spontaneous breathing activity in any phase of the ventilatory cycle. By allowing patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome to breathe spontaneously, one can expect improvements in gas exchange and systemic blood flow, based on findings from both experimental and clinical trials. In addition, by increasing end-expiratory lung volume, as occurs when using biphasic positive airway pressure or airway pressure release ventilation, recruitment of collapsed or consolidated lung is likely to occur, especially in juxtadiaphragmatic lung legions. Traditional approaches to mechanical ventilatory support of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome require adaptation of the patient to the mechanical ventilator using heavy sedation and even muscle relaxation. Recent investigations have questioned the utility of sedation, muscle paralysis and mechanical control of ventilation. Furthermore, evidence exists that lowering sedation levels will decrease the duration of mechanical ventilatory support, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and overall costs of hospitalization. Based on currently available data, we suggest considering the use of techniques of mechanical ventilatory support that maintain, rather than suppress, spontaneous ventilatory effort, especially in patients with severe pulmonary dysfunction.

Analgesia↗

The effects of different ventilatory settings on pulmonary and systemic inflammatory responses during major surgery.

UNLABELLED: Mechanical ventilation with high tidal volumes (V(T)) and zero or low positive end-expiratory pressure increased mediator release to inflammatory stimuli or acute lung injury. We studied whether mechanical ventilation modifies the inflammatory responses during major thoracic or abdominal surgery. Sixty-four patients undergoing elective thoracotomy (n = 34) or laparotomy (n = 30) were randomized to receive either mechanical ventilation with V(T) = 12 or 15 mL/kg ideal body weight, respectively, and zero end-expiratory pressure, or V(T) = 6 mL/kg ideal body weight with positive end-expiratory pressure of 10 cm H(2)O. In 62 patients who completed the study, arterial oxygenation was not different between groups. Tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12 were determined by cytometric bead array in plasma after 0, 1, 2, and 3 h and in tracheal aspirates after 3 h of mechanical ventilation. Data were log-transformed and analyzed using parametric or nonparametric tests, as indicated. All plasma mediators increased more during abdominal than during thoracic surgery, although the differences were small. However, neither time course nor concentrations of pulmonary or systemic mediators differed between the two ventilatory settings. Our data suggest that the ventilatory settings we studied do not affect inflammatory reactions during major surgery within 3 h. IMPLICATIONS: In 62 patients undergoing elective major thoracic or abdominal surgery, mechanical ventilation with low tidal volumes and positive end-expiratory pressure or high tidal volumes and zero end-expiratory pressure did not result in different pulmonary or systemic levels of measured inflammatory markers.

Abdomen↗

Measurement of functional residual capacity by nitrogen washout during partial ventilatory support.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of an open circuit multiple breath nitrogen washout (MBNW) technique for measurement of functional residual capacity (FRC) during partial ventilatory support using corrections for gas viscosity, sampling delay time, and re-inspired nitrogen. DESIGN: Measurements in a lung model with known reference volume simulating spontaneous breathing and duplicate measurements in patients breathing spontaneously with partial ventilatory support. SETTING. Experimental laboratory and intensive care units of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Eighteen patients with acute respiratory failure. INTERVENTIONS: Change of FiO(2) from baseline to 1.0. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: FRC was measured by MBNW during spontaneous breathing with continuous positive airway pressure, pressure support ventilation, proportional assist ventilation, automatic tube compensation, and airway pressure release ventilation. In the lung model, repeated measurements at three volumes were done with all partial ventilatory support modalities, and baseline FiO(2 )was varied with one mode and FRC. The mean of differences between MBNW (FRC(MBNW)) and reference was 28 ml (1.6%), and the 2.SD-interval was 84 ml (4.9%) for all modes. Measurements up to a baseline FiO(2) of 0.8 showed differences of 5 ml (-0.3%) and the 2.SD-interval of 38 ml (2.2%) between reference and FRC(MBNW). In 18 patients, 66 duplicate measurements revealed a mean difference of 30 ml (0.9%) with a coefficient of repeatability of 358 ml (13%) independent of ventilatory mode and chronological order. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that, using corrections for gas viscosity, sampling delay time, and re-inspired nitrogen, FRC can be determined with good repeatability in patients and good accuracy in a lung model during partial ventilatory support.

Adult↗

A tumor necrosis factor gene polymorphism influences the inflammatory response after cardiac operation.

BACKGROUND: The genetic background may influence cytokine release evoked by cardiac operation. Thus we determined the allele frequency and genotype distribution of a bi-allelic tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene polymorphism and TNF-alpha concentrations in patients undergoing cardiac operations with and without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: The TNF NcoI gene polymorphism was identified by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction analysis of the polymerase chain reaction product. Reading the size of the resulting DNA bands from the agarose gel defined the genotype as homozygous or heterozygous for the two alleles TNFB1 and TNFB2. Blood samples to determine TNF-alpha plasma levels were drawn from the patients before induction of general anesthesia after termination of CPB or after finishing coronary revascularization on the beating heart in non-CPB patients and 12 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: The genotype distribution and allele frequencies in 47 patients undergoing cardiac operation with CPB were comparable with those found in 36 patients undergoing cardiac operation without CPB. The TNF-alpha plasma levels over time were comparable in patients with and without CPB. However, patients homozygous for the TNF-B2 allele had significantly higher TNF-alpha plasma levels after termination of the CPB (40.2 +/- 3.5 pg/mL; mean +/- standard error of the mean; n = 28) compared with non-CPB patients (29.8 +/- 2.5 pg/mL; mean +/- standard error of the mean; n = 15) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients homozygous for the TNF-B2 allele showed significantly higher TNF-alpha plasma levels after termination of CPB compared with non-CPB patients. Therefore preoperative TNF genotyping may be useful as patients with genetically determined increased proinflammatory cytokine expression with multiple comorbidities may in particular benefit from avoiding the use of CPB.

Adult↗

Spontaneous breathing improves lung aeration in oleic acid-induced lung injury.

BACKGROUND: Experimental and clinical studies have shown reduction in intrapulmonary shunt with improved oxygenation by spontaneous breathing with airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) in acute lung injury. The mechanisms of these findings are not clear. The authors hypothesized that spontaneous breathing results in better aeration of lung tissue and that improvement in oxygenation can be explained by these changes. This hypothesis was studied in a porcine model of oleic acid-induced lung injury. METHODS: Two hours after induction of lung injury, 24 pigs were randomly assigned to APRV with or without spontaneous breathing at a positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 cm H(2)O. Hemodynamics, spirometry, and end-expiratory lung volume by nitrogen washout were measured at baseline, after 2 h of lung injury, and after 2 and 4 h of mechanical ventilation in the specific mode. Finally, spiral computed tomography of the chest was performed at end-expiratory lung volume in 22 pigs. RESULTS: Arterial carbon dioxide tension and mean and end-inspiratory airway pressures were comparable between settings. Four hours of APRV with spontaneous breathing resulted in improved oxygenation compared with APRV without spontaneous breathing (arterial oxygen tension, 144 +/- 65 vs. 91 +/- 50 mmHg, P < 0.01 for interaction time x mode), higher end-expiratory lung volume (786 +/- 320 vs. 384 +/- 148 ml, P < 0.001), and better aeration. End-expiratory lung volume and venous admixture were both correlated with the amount of lung reaeration (r(2) = 0.62 and r(2) = 0.61, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results support the hypothesis that spontaneous breathing during APRV improves oxygenation mainly by recruitment of nonaerated lung and improved aeration of the lungs.

Anesthesia↗

Effects of spontaneous breathing during airway pressure release ventilation on intestinal blood flow in experimental lung injury.

BACKGROUND: In critical illness, the gut is susceptible to hypoperfusion and hypoxia. Positive-pressure ventilation can affect systemic hemodynamics and regional blood flow distribution, with potentially deleterious effects on the intestinal circulation. The authors hypothesized that spontaneous breathing (SB) with airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) provides better systemic and intestinal blood flow than APRV without SB. METHODS: Twelve pigs with oleic acid-induced lung injury received APRV with and without SB. When SB was abolished, either the tidal volume or the ventilator rate was increased to maintain pH and arterial carbon dioxide tension constant as compared to APRV with SB. Systemic hemodynamics were determined by double indicator dilution. Blood flow to the intestinal mucosa-submucosa and muscularis-serosa was measured using colored microspheres. RESULTS: Systemic blood flow increased during APRV with SB. During APRV with SB, mucosal-submucosal blood flow (ml. g-1. min-1) was 0.39 +/- 0.21 in the stomach, 0.76 +/- 0.35 in the duodenum, 0.71 +/- 0.35 in the jejunum, 0.71 +/- 0.59 in the ileum, and 0.63 +/- 0.21 in the colon. During APRV without SB and high tidal volumes, it decreased to 0.19 +/- 0.03 in the stomach, 0.42 +/- 0.21 in the duodenum, 0.37 +/- 0.10 in the jejunum, 0.3 +/- 0.14 in the ileum, and 0.41 +/- 0.14 in the colon (P < 0.001, respectively). During APRV without SB and low tidal volumes, the respective mucosal-submucosal blood flows decreased to 0.24 +/- 0.10 (P < 0.01), 0.54 +/- 0.21 (P < 0.05), 0.48 +/- 0.17 (P < 0.01), 0.43 +/- 0.21 (P < 0.01), and 0.50 +/- 0.17 (P < 0.001) as compared to APRV with SB. Muscularis-serosal perfusion decreased during full ventilatory support with high tidal volumes in comparison with APRV with SB. CONCLUSION: Maintaining SB during APRV was associated with better systemic and intestinal blood flows. Improvements were more pronounced in the mucosal-submucosal layer.

Animals↗

Regional ventilation by electrical impedance tomography: a comparison with ventilation scintigraphy in pigs.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The validation of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) for measuring regional ventilation distribution by comparing it with single photon emission CT (SPECT) scanning. DESIGN: Randomized, prospective animal study. SETTINGS: Animal laboratories and nuclear medicine laboratories at a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twelve anesthetized and mechanically ventilated pigs. INTERVENTIONS: Lung injury was induced by central venous injection of oleic acid. Then pigs were randomized to pressure-controlled mechanical ventilation, airway pressure-release ventilation, or spontaneous breathing. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Ventilation distribution was assessed by EIT using cross-sectional electrotomographic measurements of the thorax, and simultaneously by single SPECT scanning with the inhalation of (99m)Tc-labeled carbon particles. For both methods, the evaluation of ventilation distribution was performed in the same transverse slice that was approximately 4 cm in thickness. The transverse slice then was divided into 20 coronal segments (going from the sternum to the spine). We compared the percentage of ventilation in each segment, normalized to the entire ventilation in the observed slice. Our data showed an excellent linear correlation between the ventilation distribution measured by SPECT scanning and EIT according to the following equation: y = 0.82x + 0.7 (R(2) = 0.92; range, 0.86 to 0.97). CONCLUSION: Based on these data, EIT seems to allow, at least in comparable states of lung injury, real-time monitoring of regional ventilation distribution at the bedside.

Animals↗