Objective: To evaluate the impact of helium-oxygen (He/O2) on inspiratory effort and work of breathing (WOB) in intubated COPD patients ventilated with pressure support.
Design and setting: Prospective crossover interventional study in the medical ICU of a university hospital.
Patients and participants: Ten patients.
Interventions: Sequential inhalation (30 min each) of three gas mixtures: (a) air/O2, (b) He/O2 (c) air/O2, at constant FIO2 and level of pressure support.
Measurements and results: Inspiratory effort and WOB were determined by esophageal and gastric pressure. Throughout the study pressure support and FIO2 were 14+/-3 cmH2O and 0.33+/-0.07 respectively. Compared to Air/O2, He/O2 reduced the number of ineffective breaths (4+/-5 vs. 9+/-5 breaths/min), intrinsic PEEP (3.1+/-2 vs. 4.8+/-2 cmH2O), the magnitude of negative esophageal pressure swings (6.7+/-2 vs. 9.1+/-4.9 cmH2O), pressure-time product (42+/-37 vs. 67+/-65 cmH2O s(-1) min(-1)), and total WOB (11+/-3 vs. 18+/-10 J/min). Elastic (6+/-1 vs. 10+/-6 J/min) and resistive (5+/-1 vs. 9+/-4 J/min) components of the WOB were decreased by He/O2.
Conclusions: In intubated COPD patients ventilated with pressure support He/O2 reduces intrinsic PEEP, the number of ineffective breaths, and the magnitude of inspiratory effort and WOB. He/O2 could prove useful in patients with high levels of PEEPi and WOB ventilated in pressure support, for example, during weaning.