Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jul 1996
[Effects of PEEP on intrathoracic and extrathoracic blood volumes evaluated with the COLD system in patients with acute respiratory failure. Preliminary study].
To evaluate the effects of positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) on intrathoracic and extrathoracic blood volumes in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). ⋯ PEEP application decreases cardiac index, mainly through a preload reduction, as evidenced by the reduction in intrathoracic and end-diastolic ventricular blood volumes. The preload effect is due to an increase in intrathoracic pressure with reduction in total circulating blood volume. TBVI reduction is consistent with blood pooling in vascular compartments, e.g., splanchnic compartment, characterized by long vascular time constant.