High-frequency ventilation: its various techniques and clinical applications.

High-frequency ventilation can be considered to be ventilation with a tidal volume close to or less than the anatomical dead space. The various techniques of high-frequency ventilation will be discussed including high-frequency positive pressure ventilation, high-frequency jet ventilation or high-frequency flow interruption, and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. The clinical application of the various types of high-frequency ventilation will be discussed including their use during surgical procedures, their use for various kinds of barotrauma, their usefulness in respiratory failure, their use in newborns with hyaline membrane disease, and their usefulness for respiratory support in emergency situations involving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The potential use for high-frequency ventilation in the management of battlefield casualties and air evacuation of critically ill patients will also be discussed.