HIGH FREQUENCY VENTILATION IN PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE

Abstract

Acute respiratory failure is the most common problem seen in the preterm and term infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units. In preterm infants, the most common cause of RF is respiratory distress syndrome caused by surfactant deficiency: Acute RF in term and near term infants is usually the result of meconim aspiration syndrome, sepsis, pulmonary hypoplasia and primary pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. High frequency ventilation has been advocated to reduce lung injury and chronic lung disease in preterm infants. Major risk factors for lung injury in premature infants requiring mechanical ventilation are thoughout to be volutrauma and oxygen toxicity. HFV is a mode of mechanical ventilation that uses respiratory rates (respiratory rate more than four times the normal rate) and small tidal volume (VT). Although HFV VT are often smaller than traditional estimates of both anatomic and physiologic dead space; adequate oxygenation and ventilation can be achieved with high frequency positive pressure ventilation (HFPPV), high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV), and high-frequency oscillation (HFO).