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Research ArticleConference Proceedings

Pressure-Volume Curves of the Respiratory System

R Scott Harris
Respiratory Care January 2005, 50 (1) 78-99;
R Scott Harris
Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Abstract

The quasi-static pressure-volume (P-V) curve of the respiratory system describes the mechanical behavior of the lungs and chest wall during inflation and deflation. To eliminate resistive and convective acceleration effects, the measurement of volume and pressure must be performed during short periods of apnea or during very slow flow. There are 3 main techniques for acquiring quasi-static P-V curves: the supersyringe method, the constant flow method, and the multiple-occlusion (or ventilator) method. For the information to be interpreted correctly, one must understand the interaction between the lungs and the chest wall, the effects of the supine position, and the meaning of hysteresis. The P-V curve has been studied in many disease states, but it has been applied most extensively to patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, in hopes that it might allow clinicians to customize ventilator settings according to a patient's individual respiratory mechanics and thus protect the patient from ventilator-induced lung injury. However, lack of standardization of the procedure used to acquire P-V curves, difficulties in measuring absolute lung volume, lack of knowledge regarding how to use the information, and a paucity of data showing a benefit in morbidity and mortality with the use of P-V curves have tempered early enthusiasm regarding the clinical usefulness of the quasi-static P-V curve.

  • lung mechanics
  • compliance
  • lung recruitment
  • pressure-volume curve
  • mechanical ventilation
  • acute respiratory distress syndrome
  • waveforms

Footnotes

  • Correspondence: R Scott Harris MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Bulfinch 148, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston MA 02114. E-mail: rharris{at}partners.org.
  • Copyright © 2005 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.
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Respiratory Care: 50 (1)
Respiratory Care
Vol. 50, Issue 1
1 Jan 2005
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Pressure-Volume Curves of the Respiratory System
R Scott Harris
Respiratory Care Jan 2005, 50 (1) 78-99;

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R Scott Harris
Respiratory Care Jan 2005, 50 (1) 78-99;
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Keywords

  • lung mechanics
  • compliance
  • lung recruitment
  • pressure-volume curve
  • mechanical ventilation
  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome
  • waveforms

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