JTCS Sign the Guestbook
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Baeza, O. R.
Right arrow Articles by Lowery, B. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Baeza, O. R.
Right arrow Articles by Lowery, B. D.

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 70, 790-805, Copyright © 1975 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association

ARTICLES

Pulmonary hyperinflation. A form of barotrauma during mechanical ventilation

OR Baeza, RB Wagner and BD Lowery

Barotrauma has been used to describe several specific complications related to mechanical ventilation. These include tension lung cyst, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumoperitoneum, and subcutaneous emphysema. Pulmonary hyperinflation, another such complication, occurred in 6 patients, being fatal in 3. Two pathophysiologic mechanisms are discussed. The simpler, and well-recognized, ball-valve airway obstruction allows inspiration of air delivered by the mechanical ventilator but prevents expiration. A more complex circumstance exists when pulmonary contusion or infiltration produces differential lung compliances. This allows extreme hyperinflation of areas of normal lung during attempts to ventilate abnormal lung of low compliance. This mechanism is particularly evident when positive end- expiratory pressure (PEEP) is used in an attempt to open collapsed ventilatory units. Functional complications of lung hyperinflation include decreased alveolar ventilation and compression effects on adjacent structures. Interference with and shifts of regional lung perfusion may worsen gas exchange. Proper treatment includes airway clearance by bronchoscopy, the judicious use of bronchodilators, the discontinuance of PEEP, and adjustments of mechanical ventilators to prevent high airway pressures.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 1975 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery.