The ventilatory effect of external oscillation.
High frequency ventilation (HFV) may be achieved by external oscillation (external HFV) applied around the chest wall (HFCWO) in large animals and humans, or over the entire body (HFBSO) in small animals, instead of being applied via the trachea (internal HFV). We present a synthesis of the results obtained with external HFV in both normal and bronchoconstricted subjects. Whereas external and internal HFV were found to be equivalent in terms of gas exchange in normal rats, external HFV was found to have a beneficial effect in bronchoconstricted rabbits, but internal HFV did not. From the frequency-oscillatory tidal volume relationship determined in normocapnic rabbits, HFBSO at 5 Hz was found to be the optimal frequency at which to ventilate with tidal volumes close to the dead space volume, and which was also shown to be the optimal volume to obtain normocapnia. Moreover, 5 Hz oscillations (HFCWO) at 20 ml and 40 ml superimposed on tidal breathing accelerated nitrogen washout, i.e., gas exchange in normal humans. Unfortunately, only oscillations with much smaller volumes (5-10 ml) were obtainable in COPD patients. Nevertheless, they produced a clear change in breathing pattern associated with a slight improvement in gas exchange and a potentially positive effect on inspiratory muscle fatigue. These results support the concept that non-invasive external HFV technique may be of use in assisting ventilation in bronchoconstricted subjects and may possibly replace conventional controlled ventilation, at least in subjects with high lung compliance, such as babies, neonates and normal adults.
Isabey
D
D
Unité de Physiologie Respiratoire, Faculté de Médecine de Creteil, France.
Piquet
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000628:therapy; D006612:High-Frequency Ventilation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000628:therapy; D012119:Respiration; D013909:Thorax