Ventilator therapy in the newborn. Some mechanical considerations.

Premature infants have been studied while receiving intermittent positive pressure ventilation for the management of respiratory failure which was due either to severe respiratory distress syndrome or to apnoea of prematurity. Simultaneous recordings were made of transpulmonary pressure change and volume change induced by a pressure-regulated intermittent positive pressure ventilator. This information has been of clinical value in selecting a ventilator setting for individual infants. Using an electrically-switched pressure-limited ventilator the following settings have been found to be the most appropriate in the various forms of neonatal respiratory failure: rate, 50-70/min., pressure blow-off, 20-35 cm. HO; inspiratory duration, 30-35% of the respiratory cycle; flow of gas in the circuit, 5-7 1./min.