Intratracheal perfluorocarbon administration combined with mechanical ventilation in experimental respiratory distress syndrome: dose-dependent improvement of gas exchange.
OBJECTIVE
To test the efficacy of intratracheal instillation of a perfluorocarbon, combined with conventional mechanical ventilation, as well as to establish the dose response of this application on pulmonary parameters in adult animals with acute respiratory failure.


METHODS
Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study.


METHODS
Anesthesiology laboratory of a university.


METHODS
Twelve, adult male New Zealand rabbits.


METHODS
After inducing respiratory failure by repeated lung lavage with saline, one group of animals was treated with perfluorocarbon, while another group was treated with saline to serve as controls (n = 6 per group). Treatment consisted of intratracheal instillation of incremental doses of 3 mL/kg of each liquid up to a total volume of 15 mL/kg. Animals were mechanically ventilated for 15 mins after each treatment dose with volume-controlled ventilation, a tidal volume of 12 mL/kg, frequency of 30 breaths/min, FIO2 of 1.0, and a positive end-expiratory pressure of 6 cm H2O.


RESULTS
Arterial blood gases and lung mechanics were determined. In the perfluorocarbon group, PaO2 increased with increases in dosage from 75 +/- 15 to 420 +/- 27 torr (10.0 +/- 2.0 to 55.9 +/- 3.6 kPa); PaCO2 decreased from 49 +/- 6 to 43 +/- 5 torr (6.5 +/- 0.8 to 5.7 +/- 0.6 kPa) after the first dose, and remained stable thereafter. Airway pressures were significantly lower after treatment compared with pretreatment values.


CONCLUSIONS
The remarkable improvements in pulmonary parameters suggest that this type of ventilatory support offers an effective and simple method of perfluorocarbon application in acute respiratory failure.
Tütüncü
A S
AS
Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Faithfull
N S
NS
Lachmann
B
B
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000187:drug effects; D011817:Rabbits; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D014132:Trachea
D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; C003072:perflubron; D010100:Oxygen