Preterm infants need the achievement of adequate lung volume. Lung recruitment maneuver (LRM) is applied during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. We investigated the effect of an LRM with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on oxygenation and outcomes in infants conventionally ventilated for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Preterm infants in assisted controlled ventilation+volume guarantee for RDS after surfactant randomly received an LRM (group A) or did not (group B). LRM entailed increments of 0.2 cm H (2)O PEEP every 5 minutes, until fraction of inspired oxygen (Fi O(2))=0.25. Then PEEP was reduced and the lung volume was set on the deflation limb of the pressure/volume curve. When saturation of peripheral oxygen fell and Fi O(2) rose, we reincremented PEEP until Sp O(2) became stable. Group A ( N=10) and group B ( N=10) infants were similar: gestational age 25 ± 2 versus 25 ± 2 weeks; body weight 747 ± 233 versus 737 ± 219 g; clinical risk index for babies 9.8 versus 8.1; initial Fi O(2) 56 ± 24 versus 52 ± 21, respectively. LRM began at 86 ± 69 minutes of age and lasted for 61 ± 18 minutes. Groups A and B showed different max PEEP during the first 12 hours of life (6.1 ± 0.3 versus 5.3 ± 0.3 cm H (2)O, P=0.00), time to lowest Fi O(2) (94 ± 24 versus 435 ± 221 minutes; P=0.000) and O(2) dependency (29 ± 12 versus 45 ± 17 days; P=0.04). No adverse events and no differences in the outcomes were observed. LRM led to the earlier lowest Fi O(2) of the first 12 hours of life and a shorter O (2) dependency.
© Thieme Medical Publishers.