Benefits of high frequency oscillatory ventilation for premature infants.

Background: High frequency oscillatoryventilation based on optimal lung volume strategy is one of the accepted modes of ventilatory support for respiratory distress syndrome in very low birth weight infants. In 1999 itwas introduced in our unit as the primary ventilation modality for RDS.

Objectives: To evaluate if the shift to HFOV influenced the outcome of ventilated VLBW infants in the neonatal intensive care unit of Carmel Medical Center.