title: The open lung concept: effects on right ventricular afterload after cardiac surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The open lung concept (OLC) is a method of ventilation intended to maintain end-expiratory lung volume by increased airway pressure. Since this could increase right ventricular afterload, we studied the effect of this method on right ventricular afterload in patients after cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 24 stable patients after coronary artery surgery and/or valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Patients were randomly assigned to OLC or conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV). In the OLC group, recruitment manoeuvres were applied until Pa(o(2))/FI(O(2)) was greater than 50 kPa (reflecting an open lung). This value was maintained by sufficient positive airway pressure. In the CMV group, volume-controlled ventilation was used with a PEEP of 5 cm H(2)O. Cardiac index, right ventricular preload, contractility and afterload were measured with a pulmonary artery thermodilution catheter during the 3-h observation period. Blood gases were monitored continuously.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To achieve Pa(O(2))/Fl(O(2)) > 50 kPa, 5.3 (3) (mean, SD) recruitment attempts were performed with a peak pressure of 45.5 (2) cm H(2)O. To keep the lung open, PEEP of 17.0 (3) cm H(2)O was required. Compared with baseline, pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular ejection fraction did not change significantly during the observation period in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No evidence was found that ventilation according to the OLC affects right ventricular afterload.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reis Miranda
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gommers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Struijs
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meeder
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schepp
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hop
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bogers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lachmann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010313:Partial Pressure; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000379:methods*; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen