Open AccessUneven Ventilation of the Lung Following Trauma
Author(s) -
Jeffrey Lozman,
Robert E. Dutton,
J.C. Newell,
Samuel R. Powers
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
annals of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.153
H-Index - 309
eISSN - 1528-1140
pISSN - 0003-4932
DOI - 10.1097/00000658-197711000-00011
Subject(s) - medicine , nitrogen washout , ventilation (architecture) , dead space , compartment (ship) , washout , anesthesia , lung , lung volumes , volume (thermodynamics) , respiratory minute volume , mechanical ventilation , respiratory system , functional residual capacity , mechanical engineering , oceanography , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering , geology
Ventilatory function of the lungs has been studied in 13 post-trauma patients using a two compartment analysis. The analysis is based upon a model of the lung which describes a nitrogen washout curve in terms of fast and slowly ventilated compartments. Data output from a digital computer provides values that compare the fractions of the alveolar ventilation and volume of the two compartments. All patients on initial investigation had large identifiable slow spaces. Subsequent evaluation at a time of clinical improvement showed that the ventilation of the slow space had increased significantly (P less than .003), whereas no change was evident in the volume fraction. The ventilation to volume ratio of the slow space, measured on these two separate occasions increased in twelve of the patients studied. An increase in this ratio correlated with improvement in the patient's clinical condition.