Partial liquid ventilation with low dose of perflubron and a low stretch ventilation strategy improves oxygenation in a rabbit model of surfactant depletion.

To demonstrate the efficacy of partial liquid ventilation (PLV) with a low dose of perflubron (PFB), severe lung injury model followed surfactant-depleted rabbits underwent PLV with either moderate tidal volume (V(T)) and high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) or high V(T) and low PEEP. PLV with low-dose PFB was effective in alleviating hypoxia in a severe lung injury model if adequate PEEP was applied. We concluded that the addition of a low dose of PFB might be beneficial to a low stretch ventilation strategy, which allows a less aggressive approach to achieve adequate oxygenation with a possible reduction in further lung injury.