High-frequency oscillatory ventilation compared with conventional mechanical ventilation in newborn lambs: Effects of increasing airway pressure on intracranial pressures

We tested the hypothesis that intracranial pressures and cerebral perfusion pressure in the newborn are more seriously affected by increasing airway pressure during high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) than during conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV). Mean airway pressure was acutely elevated in stepwise fashion to 25 cm H2O in six anesthetized, paralyzed newborn lambs. Pressure (mean ± SE) increased similarly during HFOV and CMV in the jugular vein (7 ± 1 and 8 ± 1 cm H2O, respectively), the sagittal sinus (6 ± 1 and 7 ± 1 cm H2O), and the cerebrospinal fluid of the lateral ventricle (4 ± 1 and 6 ± 1 cm H2O). Decreases in arterial blood pressure (− 13 ± 2 and − 10 ± 2 cm H2O) and cerebral perfusion pressure (− 17 ± 2 and − 16 ± 2 cm H2O) were also similar during HFOV and CMV. Intracranial pressure−volume curves were generated by incrementing cerebrospinal fluid volume in eight lambs. Curves generated during HFOV and CMV were similar, reflecting a similar intracranial compliance during the two ventilatory modes. These data indicate that intracranial compliace and the effects of increasing airway pressure upon intracranial pressures are not significantly different between HFOV and CMV.