title: Bench-to-bedside review: Permissive hypercapnia.
abstract: Current protective lung ventilation strategies commonly involve hypercapnia. This approach has resulted in an increase in the clinical acceptability of elevated carbon dioxide tension, with hypoventilation and hypercapnia 'permitted' in order to avoid the deleterious effects of high lung stretch. Advances in our understanding of the biology of hypercapnia have prompted consideration of the potential for hypercapnia to play an active role in the pathogenesis of inflammation and tissue injury. In fact, hypercapnia may protect against lung and systemic organ injury independently of ventilator strategy. However, there are no clinical data evaluating the direct effects of hypercapnia per se in acute lung injury. This article reviews the current clinical status of permissive hypercapnia, discusses insights gained to date from basic scientific studies of hypercapnia and acidosis, identifies key unresolved concerns regarding hypercapnia, and considers the potential clinical implications for the management of patients with acute lung injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Donall
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Croinin
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ni Chonghaile
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Laffey
mesh_terms: D000138:Acidosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide