A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CONVENTIONAL VERSUS LOW TIDAL VOLUME MECHANICAL VENTILATION IN ACUTE SEVERE ASTHMA.

Abstract

This study was designed to compare two strategies of mechanical ventilation as regard induction agent: ketamine versus propofol and settings of mechanical ventilation: conventional strategy with moderate tidal volume and moderate respiratory rate and the low stretch strategy with low tidal volume and low respiratory rate.

This study have been conducted on 22 patients with acute sever asthma admitted in I.C.U. - in Anesthesia and Chest Departments, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, two of them were excluded and the study is continued on the remaining 20 patients.

The patients were classified into two groups. Each group had

contained 10 patients, Group 1: the patients who received ketamine

as an induction agent and conventional mechanical ventilation in the • form moderate tidal Volume 8••10 ml/kg, Respiratory rate 13-15 cycle 1 min., Group II: the patients who received propofol as an induction agent and low stretch mechanical ventilation in the form of tidal Volume 5-7 ml/kg, Respiratory rate 9-11 cycle I min.

The following data were recorded hourly in the first 6 hours hour, then after 24, 48 and 72 hours : arterial blood pressure, arterial blood gases, lung mechanics changes, the total duration of mechanical ventilation for each patient and Need for re-intubation after weaning will be recorded.

In this study, the duration of mechanical ventilation ranged between 3 to 11 days with significantly longer duration of mechanical ventilation in group I than group II. •