title: Measurement of end-expiratory lung volume in intubated children without interruption of mechanical ventilation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Monitoring end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) is a valuable tool to optimize respiratory settings that could be of particular importance in mechanically ventilated pediatric patients. We evaluated the feasibility and precision of an intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator with an in-built nitrogen washout/washin technique in mechanically ventilated pediatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Duplicate EELV measurements were performed in 30 patients between 5 kg and 43 kg after cardiac surgery (age, median + range: 26, 3-141 months). All measurements were taken during pressure-controlled ventilation at 0 cm H(2)O of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linear regression between duplicate measurements was excellent (R (2) = 0.99). Also, there was good agreement between duplicate measurements, bias +/- SD: -0.3% (-1.5 mL) +/- 5.9% (19.2 mL). Mean EELV +/- SD was 19.6 +/- 5.1 mL/kg at 0 cm H(2)O PEEP. EELV correlated with age (p < 0.001, r = 0.92, R (2) = 0.78), body weight (p < 0.001, r = 0.91, R (2) = 0.82) and height (p < 0.001, r = 0.94, R (2) = 0.75).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This ICU ventilator with an in-built nitrogen washout/washin EELV technique can measure EELV with precision, and can easily be used for mechanically ventilated pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Erasmus MC, Room H602, 's-Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ido G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Bikker
authors.forename: Thierry V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Scohy
authors.lastname: Ad J J C Bogers
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: Diederik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gommers
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D012121:Respiration, Artificial