

You may need to balance this with the rate to maintain minute volume (ie increase rate if you decrease tidal volume). Remember that 6-8 mL/kg is normal VT, 4-6 mL/kg is for lung protection. Setting adjustments are situation dependent and you may not be able to adjust all of them. Decrease rate, I:time, tidal volume or PEEP, starting with rate or I:time. Disconnecting the vent is a short-term solution. Try to determine and fix the cause of decreased compliance (tension pneumothorax, pulmonary edema, positioning, etc). Higher or increasing values indicate a decrease in lung compliance. If you want to measure Pplat in a pressure mode, switch to volume breaths to measure and then switch back. Pplat can be measured with a volume breath type only. Measured using an I-Hold in the Maneuvers menu. This is a direct indication of alveolar function. Because the Pplat is measured while there is no airflow, it reflects the static compliance of the respiratory system, including the alveoli, lung parenchyma, chest wall, and abdomen. The latter one can not just take a role in the diagnosis but with the support of it the effectivity of the alveolar recruitment can be estimated and optimal ventilator parameters can be determined preventing further damage caused by the mechanical stress.Plateau pressure (Pplat): The pressure recorded during a pause at the end of inspiration. EIT can aim the identification of these lesions by the assessment of the focal mechanical properties when parameters measured by the ventilator are also involved. On the contrary acute lung injury is characterized by focal injuries of the lung parenchyma where undamaged alveoli take part in the gas exchange next to the impaired ones. Unfortunately, parameters measured by the respirator provide only a global status about the state of the lungs. Through with this extra information transpulmonary pressure can be estimated what directly effects the alveoli. The latter can be ameliorated by the measurement of the intrapleural pressure.

At the same time these picture imaging techniques are supplemented by the pressure parameters and lung mechanical properties assigned and displayed by the ventilator. On the contrary electric impedance tomography (EIT) provides a real time, dynamic and easily reproducible information about one lung segment at the bed side. At the same time the reproducibility of the CT is poor and it offers just a snapshot about the ongoing progression of the disease. However, CT can reveal scans not just about the whole bilateral lung parenchyma but also about the mediastinal organs, it requires the transportation of the critically ill and exposes the patient to extra radiation. Mechanical ventilation induced volu- and barotrauma with the cyclic shearing forces can evoke further lung injury on its own.Ĭomputer tomography (CT) of the chest is still the gold standard in the diagnostic protocols of the hypoxemic respiratory failure.

However, respiratory therapy can improve gas exchange until the elimination of the damaging pathomechanism and the regeneration of the lung tissue, mechanical ventilation is a double edge sword. Mechanical ventilation commenced with grave hypoxemia is one of the most common organ support therapies applied in the critically ill. Why Should I Register and Submit Results?ĭiagnosis and treatment of the hypoxic respiratory failure induced by severe atelectasis with the background of acute lung injury is challenging for the intensive care physicians.
