Is liquid ventilation a reasonable alternative?

Liquid breathing has been in medical literature for nearly 80 years and has been proposed as a means of improving gas exchange in critically ill infants since the 1970s. Extensive laboratory experience with perfluorochemical liquid ventilation has lead to clinical trials in infants, children, and adults. This article discusses the process and physiologic response to liquid breathing in neonates, and reviews some of the factors that need clarification prior to approval as a routine clinical therapy.