PERMISSIVE HYPERCAPNIA

Traditional practice of mechanical ventilation includes tactics to red uce lung injury, such as avoidance of excessive airway pressure, patie nt distress, and tidal volume, Gas exchange objectives have received p riority, however, and a degree of lung injury has been accepted as ine vitable. The current trend toward increasing use of permissive hyperca pnia is based on the recognition that lung injury induced by mechanica l ventilation may be reduced by compensated hypercapnia with few serio us adverse effects and contraindications.