New modalities in pediatric mechanical ventilation

Abstract

The field of pediatric mechanical ventilation has advanced dramatically over the last decade. During this period many changes have occurred and continue to occur.The knowledge of childhood physiology and ventilation techniques may be among the most important skills a physician practices in critical care. Mechanical ventilation is used for many different clinical conditions. Essentially all uses of mechanical ventilation are targeted toward pediatric patients who fail to ventilate or oxygenate adequately. Mechanical ventilation is a useful adjunct to support the gas exchange function until effective spontaneous breathing or oxygenation is restored. Multiple mechanical ventilation modes are currently used in clinical practice to provide respiratory support for a wide spectrum of patients, ranging from no lung disease to acute lung injury to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Different modes of ventilation are pressure controlled ventilation (PC), volume controlled ventilation (VC), pressure regulated volume control (PRVC), synchronize intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV), pressure support ventilation (PS), volume support (VS) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).Over time, mechanical ventilators have become more sophisticated and new modes of ventilation have been introduced and