Annales de l'anesthésiologie française
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Positive pressure at the end of expiration (PEEP) applied in spontaneous ventilation (CPAP) has the same ventilatory effects as in controlled ventilation without the harmful actions. Few studies have described the use of CPAP in severe isolated postoperative respiratory insufficiency. CPAP was applied in 16 patients free of chronic bronchopulmonary disease, aged between 22 and 82 years, and suffering after major thoracic and/or abdominal surgery from isolated acute respiratory insufficiency as defined by clinical, blood gas and rediological criteria. ⋯ Alveolar ventilation was assessed by capnography. Improvement was marked in six days : the PaO2/FIO2 ratio at nil PEEP fell from 129 +/- 3.2 to 3.73 +/- 6.5 (mean +/- SD), the score of interstitial and alveolar opacities from 25 to 4 and the atelectasis score from 10 to 1. These results show the efficacy of CPAP in the early treatment of isolated postoperative acute respiratory insufficiency.