Positive end-expiratory pressure improves elastic working pressure in anesthetized children

BACKGROUND: Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) has been demonstrated to decrease ventilator-induced lung injury in patients under mechanical ventilation (MV) for acute respiratory failure. Recently, some studies have proposed some beneficial effects of PEEP in ventilated patients without lung injury. The influence of PEEP on respiratory mechanics in children is not well known. Our aim was to determine the effects on respiratory mechanics of setting PEEP at 5 cmH(2)O in anesthetized healthy children. METHODS: Patients younger than 15 years old without history of lung injury scheduled for elective surgery gave informed consent and were enrolled in the study. After usual care for general anesthesia, patients were placed on volume controlled MV. Two sets of respiratory mechanics studies were performed using inspiratory and expiratory breath hold, with PEEP 0 and 5 cmH(2)O. The maximum inspiratory and expiratory flow (Q(I) and Q(E)) as well as peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), plateau pressure (P(PL)) and total PEEP (tPEEP) were measured. Respiratory system compliance (C(RS)), inspiratory and expiratory resistances (RawI and RawE) and time constants (K(TI) and K(TE)) were calculated. Data were expressed as median and interquartile range (IQR). Wilcoxon sign test and Spearman’s analysis were used. Significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: We included 30 patients, median age 39 (15–61.3) months old, 60% male. When PEEP increased, PIP increased from 12 (11,14) to 15.5 (14,18), and C(RS) increased from 0.9 (0.9,1.2) to 1.2 (0.9,1.4) mL·kg(− 1)·cmH(2)O(− 1); additionally, when PEEP increased, driving pressure decreased from 6.8 (5.9,8.1) to 5.8 (4.7,7.1) cmH(2)O, and Q(E) decreased from 13.8 (11.8,18.7) to 11.7 (9.1,13.5) L·min(− 1) (all P < 0.01). There were no significant changes in resistance and Q(I). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of respiratory mechanics in anesthetized healthy children shows that PEEP at 5 cmH(2)O places the respiratory system in a better position in the P/V curve. A better understanding of lung mechanics may lead to changes in the traditional ventilatory approach, limiting injury associated with MV. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12871-018-0611-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.