Respiratory physiology & neurobiology
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Respir Physiol Neurobiol · Dec 2015
Modeling the pharyngeal pressure during adult nasal high flow therapy.
Subjects receiving nasal high flow (NHF) via wide-bore nasal cannula may experience different levels of positive pressure depending on the individual response to NHF. In this study, airflow in the nasal airway during NHF-assisted breathing is simulated and nasopharyngeal airway pressure numerically computed, to determine whether the relationship between NHF and pressure can be described by a simple equation. Two geometric models are used for analysis. ⋯ For the second, a simplified geometric model is derived that has the same cross-sectional area as the complex model, but is more readily amenable to analysis. Peak airway pressure is correlated as a function of nasal valve area, nostril area and cannula flow rate, for NHF rates of 20, 40 and 60 L/min. Results show that airway pressure is related by a power law to NHF rate, valve area, and nostril area.
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Respir Physiol Neurobiol · Dec 2015
Simultaneous monitoring of intratidal compliance and resistance in mechanically ventilated piglets: A feasibility study in two different study groups.
Compliance measures the force counteracting parenchymal lung distension. In mechanical ventilation, intratidal compliance-volume (C(V))-profiles therefore change depending on PEEP, tidal volume (VT), and underlying mechanical lung properties. Resistance counteracts gas flow through the airways. ⋯ In the lavage group, a large drop in resistance at small volumes and slow decrease toward larger volumes was found for small PEEP/VT-settings where C(V)-profiles revealed a volume-dependent increase (small PEEP) or a decrease (large PEEP and large VT). R(V)-profiles depend characteristically on PEEP, VT, and possibly whether lungs are healthy or not. Curved R(V)-profiles might indicate pathological changes in the underlying mechanical lung properties and/or might be a sign of derecruitment.