Articles: respiratory-distress-syndrome.
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In 16 patients with severe head injury and 2 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) ventilation was required to maintain adequate oxygenation. The effects of PEEP on intracranial pressure (ICP) were evaluated with respect to the volume-pressure response (VPR), an indicator of intracranial compliance, and the static lung compliance (CL). ⋯ In addition, however, decreased lung compliance may buffer these effects in patients who have decreased intracranial compliance. We propose that ICP monitoring and intracranial compliance determination are necessary in the management of brain-injured patients requiring PEEP ventilation.
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Comparative Study
Bacteremia: host-specific lung clearance and pulmonary failure.
Pulmonary effects, lung clearance, and tissue retention of blood-borne Pseudomonas aeruginosa were compared in dogs (n = 5) and pigs (n = 5) during continuous 6-hour intravenous infusion of 1.2(10(9)) bacteria/min/20 kg. Control pigs received an equal volume of sterile saline. In contrast to controls, experimental pigs developed pulmonary artery (PA) hypertension (mean, 30 +/- SE 3; baseline, 17 mm Hg) and pulmonary failure manifested by hypoxemia (mean PaO2, 49 +/- 4; baseline, 78 +/- 2 mm Hg; p less than 0.001), increased intrapulmonary shunting (40 to 50%), noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, and congestive atelectasis, a pattern of pulmonary failure very similar to sepsis-induced ARDS in humans. ⋯ Tissue retention of viable blood-borne organisms in pigs was greatest in the lungs. In dogs, lung retention was minimal and greatest tissue retention occurred in the liver and spleen. We conclude that both lung clearance of blood-borne organisms and bacteremia-induced pulmonary failure are quite host dependent.