Therapeutic effect of various types of mechanical ventilation on pulmonary edema after sea water drowning in rabbits

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) and high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) on pulmonary edema after sea water drowning (PE-SWD) in rabbits. Methods Twenty-eight New Zealand rabbits with pulmonary edema induced by sea water lavage were randomly selected to receive CMV and HFJV. Blood gas analysis, pulmonary dynamics, hemodynamics and serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were monitored at various time points. After ventilation for 3 hours, 7 rabbits of each group were killed to get lung tissues for pathological examination and lung broncho-alveolar lavage fluid was analyzed for the count of leukocytes. Results PaO 2 and SO 2 were increased significantly after the use of ventilation for rabbits with pulmonary edema (P0.01), especially after CMV treatment. Pulmonary dynamics and hemodynamics were ameliorated. The results of TNF-α and leukocyte count showed that the degree of lung injury was decreased. Conclusion Our study showed that CMV and HFJV can improve hypoxemia of PE-SWD rabbits significantly, and decreased the degree of lung injury.