Do you know why HFOV seems to be ineffective while it may perform very well?

High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation has a potential to be safe and efficient, but several recent studies did not confirmed superiority of HFOV over conventional protective ventilatory techniques. Knowledge of all aspects of HFOV and necessity of individualized setup of HFOV parameters are essential for rational, safe and effective HFOV application.

Our recently published study explains differences between CMV and HFOV that should be taken into account. Thy study dispels the myth that oxygenation and ventilation (capnia) are decoupled during HFOV. The opposite is true! The change in ventilation (tidal volume, minute ventilation) in HFOV affects oxygenation much more strongly than in CMV. Caution should be exercised as permissive hypercapnia in HFOV may result in severe hypoxemia.

The article was published as Tidal volume significantly affects oxygenation in healthy pigs during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation compared to conventional ventilation in open access journal Biomedical Engineering Online.