The reciprocal relationship between thoracic and spinal deformity and its effect on pulmonary function in a rabbit model: a pilot study.

Study Design: Investigate the association between growth of the spine and thorax under conditions that create symmetric or asymmetric growth disturbances of the spine or thorax in a growing rabbit.

Objective: Prove growth of the spine and growth of the thorax are directly related.

Summary Of Background Data: Understanding the association between growth of the thorax and growth of the spine may explain the occurrence of thoracic insufficiency in patients with congenital scoliosis.

Comparison of variable and conventional ventilation in a sheep saline lavage lung injury model.

Objective: There has recently been considerable interest in alternative lung-protective ventilation strategies such as variable ventilation (VV). We aimed at testing VV in a large animal lung injury model and exploring the mechanism of improvement in gas exchange seen with VV.

Design: Randomized, controlled comparative ventilation study.

Pulmonary function tests versus computed tomography in sheep with experimental emphysema.

The authors explored the relative utility of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and computed tomography (CT) to characterize the progression of papain induced emphysema in sheep (n = 12). PFT included plethysmography (FRC(pleth)), helium dilution (FRC(He)), and expired reserve volume (ERV). Following papain, FRC(pleth) and FRC(He) were unchanged; ERV decreased hence residual volume increased significantly (RV + 270 mL, +86%, P = .

Heterogeneous airway versus tissue mechanics and their relation to gas exchange function during mechanical ventilation.

We have advanced a commercially available ventilator (NPB840, Puritan Bennett/Tyco Healthcare, Pleasanton, CA) to deliver an Enhanced Ventilation Waveform (EVW). This EVW delivers a broadband waveform that contains discrete frequencies blended to provide a tidal breath, followed by passive exhalation. The EVW allows breath-by-breath estimates of frequency dependence of lung and total respiratory resistance (R) and elastance (E) from 0.