Pulmonary surfactant concentration during transition from high frequency oscillation to conventional mechanical ventilation

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that conventional mechanical ventilation (CV) provides a greater stimulus to secretion of pulmonary surfactant than high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFO). METHODOLOGY: Sequential examination of surfactant indices in lung lavage fluid in a group of six infants with severe lung disease (group 1), ventilated with HFO and then converted back to CV as their lung disease recovered. A similar group of 10 infants (group 2) ventilated conventionally throughout the course of their illness were studied for comparison. In groups 1 and 2, two sequential tracheal aspirate samples were taken, the first once lung disease was noted to be improving, and the second 48-7..