A Case of Severe Air Leak Syndrome Treated with High - Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation ( HFOV )

ABSTRACT

In air leak syndrome, a significant portion of the volume delivered during a positive pressure breath can be lost through the leak. HFOV can achieve adequate ventilation at lower peak and/or mean intrapulmonary pressure than conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) and has been an effective treatment of already established air leak syndrome. We report a 1-day-old male infant with severe respiratory failure from pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum, who was refractory to CMV with chest tube drainage. HFOV was applied to this patient for 114 hours, and improvement of oxygenation and ventilation as well as significant reduction of pneumothorax followed.