Combining partial liquid ventilation with nitric oxide to improve gas exchange in acute lung injury.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of increasing concentrations of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) during incremental dosages of partial liquid ventilation (PLV) on gas exchange, hemodynamics, and oxygen transport in pigs with induced acute lung injury (ALI).


METHODS
Prospective experimental study.


METHODS
Experimental intensive care unit of a university.


METHODS
6 pigs with induced ALI.


METHODS
Animals were surfactant-depleted by lung lavage to a partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) < 100 mmHg. They then received four incremental doses of 5 ml/kg perflubron (Liqui-Vent). Between each dose the animals received 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 0 parts per million (ppm) NO.


RESULTS
Blood gases, hemodynamic parameters, and oxygen delivery were measured after each dose of perflubron as well as after each NO concentration. Perflubron resulted in a dose-dependent increase in PaO2. At each perflubron dose, additional NO inhalation resulted in a further significant (ANOVA, p < 0.05) increase in PaO2, with a maximum effect at 30 +/- 10 ppm NO. The 5 ml/kg perflubron dose led to a significant decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure, which decreased further with higher NO concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
PLV can be combined with NO administration and results in a cumulative effect on arterial oxygenation and to a decrease in pulmonary artery pressure, without having any deleterious effect on measured systemic hemodynamic parameters.
Houmes
R J
RJ
Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Hartog
A
A
Verbrugge
S J
SJ
Böhm
S
S
Lachmann
B
B
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000187:drug effects; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000628:therapy*; D013552:Swine
D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C003072:perflubron