ASSESSMENT OF PULMONARY FUNCITONS AND ITS RELATION TO BLOOD GASES IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN ON MECHANICAL VENTILATION

Abstract

Accurate assessment of respiratory disease severity in mechanically ventilated children is fundamental both for clinical and prognostic purposes. Any mismatch between the intensity of mechanical ventilation and the severity of respiratory diseases whether through over- or under-treatment can have serious consequences.

Currently, most decisions made at the bedside in ventilator management are based upon accumulated clinical experience; however, respiratory mechanics monitoring is a key method of maximizing and improving clinical judgement on the effect of mechanical ventilation.

This study included 100 pediatric cases. Their ages ranged from 45 days to 12 years, with a mean of 13.04 ± 2.16 months. 71% of patients were infants below one year of age. That is why most of ventilated cases (89%) were put on pressure-cycled mode. The mean duration of mechanical ventilation for weaned children was 4.8 ± 0.94 days.

The patients were put on mechanical ventilation due to respiratory failure which was the end result of various respiratory (77%) and non-respiratory (33%) causes (croup, septicemia, and congenital heart disease 5%, intracranial hemorrhage 4%, Guillian Barre syndrome 3%, Werding Hoffman disease 6%).