Calculating the work of breathing during mechanical ventilation.

Left figure: Passive patient esophageal pressure (Pes) in cmH2O on x-axis versus tidal volume in ml on y-axis. Green dashed line represents the chest wall compliance Right figure: same patient actively breathing on pressure support ventilation. (Pes) in cmH2O on x-axis versus tidal volume in ml on y-axis. Green dashed line represents the chest wall compliance. Red shaded area is the Campbell diagram representing the inspiratory work of breathing

The effect of estimating chest wall compliance on the work of breathing during exercise as determined via the modified Campbell diagram

The modified Campbell diagram provides one of the most comprehensive assessments of the work of breathing (Wb) during exercise, wherein the resistive and elastic work of inspiration and expiration are quantified. Importantly, a necessary step in constructing the modified Campbell diagram is to obtain a value for chest wall compliance (CCW). To date, it remains unknown whether estimating or directly measuring CCW impacts on the Wb as determined by the modified Campbell diagram. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the components of the Wb differ when the modified Campbell diagram is constructed using an estimated versus measured value of CCW. Forty-two participants (n = 26 men, 16 women) performed graded exercise to volitional exhaustion on a cycle ergometer. CCW was measured directly at rest via quasi-static relaxation. Estimated values of CCW were taken from prior literature. The measured value of CCW was greater than that obtained via estimation (214 ± 52 mL∙cmH2O-1 vs. 189 ± 18 mL∙cmH2O-1, p < 0.05). At modest to high minute ventilations (i.e., 50-200 L∙min-1), the inspiratory elastic Wb was greater, and expiratory resistive Wb was lower, when modified Campbell diagrams were constructed using estimated compared with measured values of CCW (p < 0.05). These differences were however small, and never exceeded ±5%. Thus, although our findings demonstrate that estimating CCW has a measurable impact on the determination of the Wb, its effect appears relatively small within a cohort of healthy adults during graded exercise.

Acute respiratory failure in pregnancy

Respiratory failure affects up to 0.2% of pregnancies, more commonly in the postpartum period. Altered maternal respiratory physiology affects the assessment and management of these patients. Respiratory failure may result from pregnancy-specific conditions such as preeclampsia, amniotic fluid embolism or peripartum cardiomyopathy. Pregnancy may increase the risk or severity of other conditions, including thromboembolism, asthma, viral pneumonitis, and gastric acid aspiration. Management during pregnancy is similar to the nonpregnant patient. Endotracheal intubation in pregnancy carries an increased risk, due to airway edema and rapid oxygen desaturation following apnea. Few data are available to direct prolonged mechanical ventilation in pregnancy. Chest wall compliance is reduced, perhaps permitting slightly higher airway pressures. Optimizing oxygenation is important, but data on the use of permissive hypercapnia are limited. Delivery of the fetus does not always improve maternal respiratory function, but should be considered if benefit to the fetus is anticipated.