Research advance of airway pressure release ventilation in treatment of ALI/ARDS

Abstract

Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) is pressure controlled mechanical ventilation on the base of continuous positive airway pressure,and accomplishs ventilatory capacity for gas exchange by releasing pressure from high airway pressure to low airway pressure. It can sustain lung recruitment and reduce ventilator associated lung injury on the base of lung protective ventilatory strategies. APRV has many advantageous influence in decreasing airway pressures, improving oxygenation,improvements in hemodynamics and gastrointestinal perfusion, reducing sedation/anesthetics requirements in ventilatory support in the presence of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome. Moreover, spontaneous breathing plays an important role in recruiting dependent collapsed lung regions throughout the entire ventilatory cycle. So,researchers and doctors pay more and more attention to APRV. Key words: Mechanical ventilation; Airway pressure release ventilation; Acute lung injury; Acute respiratory distress syndrome; Spontaneous breathing; Treatment