Electrically produced artificial ventilation.

The induction of inspiration by delivering a burst of short-duration stimuli to body-surface electrodes is over a century old. The authors have used the term electroventilation to describe the technique. Inspiration can be produced with stimuli applied to electrodes placed bilaterally at the base of the neck, over the phrenic nerve motor points. Transchest electrodes placed anterior to the axillae can be used to stimulate the long thoracic and phrenic nerves. Paraxiphoid electrodes can be used to stimulate the phrenic nerves as they enter the diaphragm. With any of these electrode placements, inspired volumes in excess of spontaneous tidal volumes can be achieved in man, baboon, and dog. Of major importance is the need to use short-duration (less than 10-microseconds) pulses in the train of stimuli that produces contraction of the inspiratory muscles. The duration of inspiration is determined by the duration of the train, which is typically 0.5-1 s. The use of short-duration pulses minimizes the risk of producing cardiac arrhythmias and results in very little sensation at the skin.