Since its birth in the mid eighties of the last century, airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) has been a victim of much debate about its clinical use, benefits, and possible harms. With growing body of literature and evidence, APRV is gaining more acceptance and enthusiasm. Interesting research has been conducted in regards to its benefits in prevention of acute respiratory distress syndr...

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 cycl...

BACKGROUND Patent foramen ovale (PFO) are common, normally resulting in a left-to-right shunt or no net shunting. Pulmonary embolism (PE) can cause sustained increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and right atrial pressure. Increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) improves oxygenation at the expense of increasing intrathoracic pressures (ITP). Airway pressure release ventilatio...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accuracy of a flow-proportional delivery system and the pattern of inspiratory nitric oxide (NO) concentration during different flow conditions. DESIGN Laboratory study in a lung model. SETTING University experimental laboratory. SUBJECT With a new delivery system, NO was administered proportional to the inspiratory flow into the inspiratory circuit to deliver a ...

One of the most difficult organs to procure for donation is the lung. A detailed understanding of the physiology of mechanical ventilation and its effect on donor lungs is needed to impact on the outcome of lung transplantation. An organized protocol for mechanical ventilation management of the organ donor using the Open Lung Model may positively affect the number of organs that can be procured...