High frequency oscillatory ventilation in infants: The clinical practice in N. Macedonia

Abstract

High frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is a ventilation mode with very high rates, small tidal volumes and permanent Mean Airway Pressure – MAP. It is used in neonates with respiratory failure when conventional mechanical ventilation (CV) is inadequate. We present a study of three infants with respiratory failure, initially ventilated with CV (Drager-babylog 8000). All of them deteriorated on CV with hypoxemia and hypercapnia and switched to high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). Improvement of ventilation had been confirmed after several days and the infants were successfully weaned off the HFOV mode and shifted to CV. Conclusion: HFOV was able to improve significantly neonatal respiratory failure without any complications. However, our study is insufficient and it would be required a larger number of infants to confirm the use and clinical practice for neonates on HFOV mode.