Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
1995-6-14
pubmed:abstractText
Since the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) lung is known to be inhomogeneous, one could expect an uneven distribution of expiratory time constant during uninterrupted mechanical ventilation. We investigated the time constant/volume relationship of passive expiration, and their modification by external resistive elements. In 12 paralysed intubated ARDS patients, we determined the expiratory time constant (tau E) as a function of the expired volume (VE) during uninterrupted mechanical ventilation. Mean expiratory time was 2.9 +/- 0.3 s (+/- SD). VE was divided into five equal volume slices (portions) and a mean tau E calculated from the expiratory tidal volume/flow curve for each slice. The mean values of tau E for each volume slice did not differ significantly throughout expiration, averaging 690 +/- 218 ms (mean +/- SD of five slices and 12 patients). We show that the flow-dependent resistance of the endotracheal tube (RETT) is mainly responsible for the observed time constant homogeneity. We conclude that in ARDS patients during uninterrupted mechanical ventilation the time constants of passive expiration are markedly modified by the flow-dependent resistance of the endotracheal tube (RETT), and also by the external resistance of tubing and ventilator (REX). RETT and REX render tau E about three times larger than the time constant of the patient's respiratory system alone.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
0903-1936
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
8
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
114-20
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
Time constant/volume relationship of passive expiration in mechanically ventilated ARDS patients.
pubmed:affiliation
Dept of Surgery, University of Basel, Switzerland.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't