PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this article is to describe the physiologic utility, correlation with lung morphology, difficulties in interpretation and current clinical applications of static respiratory system pressure-volume curves at the bedside in patients with acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome. RECENT FINDINGS Complex interpretation of pressure-volume curves indicat...

BACKGROUND COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Acute exacerbations of COPD may cause respiratory failure, requiring intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation. Intensive care unit patients with acute exacerbations of COPD requiring mechanical ventilation have higher mortality rates than other hospitalized patients. Although mechanical ventilation is the most effect...

BACKGROUND The authors tested the hypothesis that pressure support ventilation (PSV) provides more effective gas exchange than does unassisted ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in anesthetized adult patients treated using the laryngeal mask airway. METHODS Forty patients were randomized to two equal-sized crossover groups, and data were collected before surgery. In g...

BACKGROUND The present study will focus on the rationale for the use of small tidal volume with 6 cmH2O positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) with the changes of arterial oxygen tension, plateau airway pressure, and static lung compliance during one lung ventilation for endoscopic thoracic surgery. METHODS Forty-three patients were intubated with a double-lumen endobronchial tube. After pos...

External noise is introduced by computer-generated random levels of pressure assistance during noisy pressure support ventilation (PSV). In patients, noisy PSV was associated with higher tidal volume variability but not improved cardio-pulmonary function compared with conventional PSV. The potential role of noisy PSV in the management of critically ill patients requiring ventilatory support has...

BACKGROUND Closed endotracheal suctioning during mechanical ventilation is increasingly used, but its impact on ventilator function has not been fully studied. METHODS We evaluated the impact of closed suctioning with 11 critical-care ventilators, during assisted ventilation in pressure-support mode, pressure-assist/control mode, volume-assist/control mode, and during continuous positive airw...

BACKGROUND Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), which are not uncommon in one-lung ventilation, are among the main causes of postoperative death after lung surgery. Intra-operative ventilation strategies can influence the incidence of PPCs. High tidal volume (V T) and increased airway pressure may lead to lung injury, while pressure-controlled ventilation and lung-protective strategies...