Journal of applied physiology
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In 11 mechanically ventilated patients, respiratory mechanics were measured 1) during constant flow inflation and 2) following end-inflation airway occlusion, as proposed in model analysis (J. Appl. Physiol. 58: 1840-1848, 1985. ⋯ In all instances Ers and RT were higher than normal. RT(min) was lower in all patients than the corresponding values of RT, indicating that resistance was frequency dependent due to time constant inequalities. Changes in inflation rate did not affect Ers, while RT increased with increasing flow.
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We examined the relationship between mucus rheology, depth of mucus layer, and clearance by simulated cough. A model trachea was constructed of rigid Plexiglas of rectangular cross section (1 X 2 X 35 cm). The bottom of the trachea was lined with mucus simulants, gels prepared from locust bean gum cross-linked with sodium borate. ⋯ For a given driving pressure and depth, CI decreased with increasing mucus cross-link density. For mucus samples with comparable levels of dynamic viscosity, samples with higher elasticity cleared less well. Mucus clearance was associated with transient wave formation in the lining layer.