Predicting effectiveness of high frequency ventilation in neonates with severe respiratory failure.

Abstract Objective To predict the effectiveness of high frequency ventilation(HFV) in neonates with severe respiratory failure.Methods After twenty four hours of HFV treatment,whether or not the FiO 2 was decreased to 0.5 or declined over 30 percent,the patients with severe respiratory failure and unresponsive to conventional mechanical ventilation were divided in to group 1 and group 2. The a/A ratio and OI of the two groups were compared during 1, 6, 12 and 24h after HFV with 2h before HFV. Results There were totally 50 patients. The mean gestafional aged was 35.6 w+4.1 w. (28.3～43.3.) and the mean birth weight was (2.35±0.89(kg (0.75～4.5).The admitted age was 1～490 h (M=5 h) after birth The overall survived rate was 60%. There were thirty seven cases in Group 1. The a/A ratio was increased significantly at lhr (P0.05), and then rapidly increased during observed period. The OI was significantly decreased at 6hr (p0.05) and declined about 50 percent at 24 h after HFV. Among this group, 34 patients were weaned from HFV. There are 13 cases in Group 2, The change of a/A and OI was non-significant during observed period compared with 2h before HFV. All the patients of this group couldn't wean from ventilator and died.Conclusion Fifty percent increased of a/A ratio and twenty five percent decrease of OI after 6h HFV treatment,so they might be the early predictors of effectiveness of HFV in the treatment of neonatal respiratory failure