Tracheal gas insufflation - Performance of a novel phase-specific device

Tracheal gas insufflation is a technique in which gas is injected intratrac heally during positive pressure ventilation. The fresh gas rinses expired g as fi-om the tracheal tube and anatomical dead space, aiding carbon dioxide elimination. This reduces ventilatory volume and pressure, helping to redu ce ventilator-induced lung damage. Complications of tracheal gas insufflati on include interference with ventilator function, tracheal damage and barot rauma. Expiratory washout is a variation of tracheal gas insufflation. We d esigned and constructed an original expiratory washout system and evaluated its safety and performance in lung and animal models. We found that expira tory limb and tracheal tube occlusion tests caused the device to disable it self at acceptable intratracheal pressures. We also demonstrated up to 31% reduction in tidal volume compared with conventional ventilation, supportin g the possibility of using this device clinically to lessen volutrauma. We concluded that aspects of this design might alleviate many of the safety co ncerns of using tracheal gas insufflation.