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This study was made to determine how oscillations superimposed on intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) influence the arterial blood gases, pH and the airway pressures during adequate alveolar ventilation i.e. at inhibition of inspiratory activity, before and after experimentally induced lung injury in the anaesthetized cat. Two IPPV frequencies were studied. The lung was injured by instillation of xanthine oxidase into the upper airways during IPPV. The peak, mean and end-expiratory intrapleural and airway (intratracheal) pressures at two levels were measured and the arterial blood gases and pH were determined at inhibition of inspiratory activity with and without superimposition of oscillations on the ventilatory pattern. Before lung injury, superimposed oscillations lowered the airway pressures only at an IPPV rate of 15 breaths per minute (b.p.m.). After lung injury, such oscillations increased the airway pressures only at 15 b.p.m. The airway pressures were always lower at 60 than at 15 b.p.m.

This study was undertaken to determine whether oscillations superimposed on a regular ventilatory pattern influence the arterial blood gases and pH and the airway pressures at adequate alveolar ventilation at the onset of inhibition of inspiratory activity. The peak, mean and end-expiratory airway pressures were therefore measured at inhibition of this activity with and without superimposition of oscillations on the ventilatory pattern. It was found that superimposed oscillations lowered the airway pressure only at a low ventilatory frequency, whereas inhibition occurred at almost equal arterial PCO2 and pH values with and without superimposed oscillations on the ventilatory pattern.

High intrapulmonary pressure is probably an important factor in the development of extra-alveolar air leaks and bronchopulmonary dysplasia during neonatal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV). Spontaneous breathing, which may be asynchronous with the ventilator as a result of hypoventilation or sometimes of the ventilatory pattern of the ventilator, can be prevented by neuromuscular blockade. During neuromuscular blockade with pancuronium bromide the central inspiratory (phrenic nerve activity) activity could be inhibited during IPPV at all ventilatory frequencies tested, but a lower arterial PCO2 and a higher pH were needed to achieve inhibition at a low frequency (15 bpm). In the present study it was observed that central inspiratory activity in cats was stimulated by intravenous injection of pancuronium bromide. In cats not subjected to neuromuscular blockade the inspiratory activity was inhibited during IPPV at all ventilatory frequencies studied. At the onset of inhibition of this activity, the arterial blood gases and pH in these animals were almost the same at all ventilatory frequencies. When ventilation was administered at a low frequency, higher peak intratracheal pressures were needed to obtain inhibition of central inspiratory activity than when high frequencies were used, both before and after neuromuscular blockade.