COPD patients and mechanical ventilation with positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP).

Application of positive and expiratory pressure (PEEP) is widely used in mechanically ventilated patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) due to adult respiratory distress syndrome. Recent studies have suggested that application of PEEP can be useful in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to reduce the mechanical inspiratory load due to intrinsic positive and expiratory pressure (PEEPi). In any ventilatory mode (controlled mechanical ventilation, assisted mechanical ventilation) and during weaning, application of moderate levels of PEEP replace in part PEEPi without adding to it and without significantly increasing lung volume.