Safety And Efficacy Evaluation Of The Automatic Stepwise Recruitment Maneuver In The Neonatal Population: An In Vivo Interventional Study. Can Anesthesiologists Safely Perform Automatic Lung Recruitment Maneuvers In Neonates?

Background A new software has recently been incorporated in almost all new anesthesia machines to enable automatic lung recruitment maneuvers. To date, no studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of these automatic software programs in the neonatal population. Aims We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the lung recruitment maneuver performed using the automatic stepwise recruitment maneuver software of the FLOW-i 4.3 Anesthesia System(R) in a healthy and live neonatal model. Methods Eight male newborn piglets were included in the study. The lung recruitment maneuver was performed in pressure-controlled ventilation with a constant driving pressure (15 cmH(2)O) in a stepwise increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) model. The target peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) was 30 cmH(2)O and PEEP was 15 cmH(2)O. The maneuver lasted for 39 seconds. The hemodynamic variables were monitored using the PICCO(R) system. The following respiratory parameters were monitored: oxygen saturation, fraction of inspired oxygen, partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the arterial blood, end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure, PIP, plateau pressure, PEEP, static compliance (C-stat), and dynamic compliance (C-dyn). Safety was evaluated by assessing the accuracy of the software, need for not interrupting the maneuver, hemodynamic stability, and absence of adverse respiratory events with the lung recruitment maneuver. Efficacy was evaluated by improvement in C-stat and C-dyn after performing the lung recruitment maneuver. Results All lung recruitment maneuvers were safely performed as scheduled without any interruptions. No pneumothorax or other side effects were observed. Hemodynamic stability was maintained during the lung recruitment maneuver. We observed an improvement of 33% in C-dyn and 24% in C-stat after the maneuver. Conclusions The automatic stepwise recruitment maneuver software of the FLOW-i 4.3 Anesthesia System(R) is safe and efficacious in a healthy neonatal model. We did not observe any adverse respiratory or hemodynamic events during the implementation of the lung recruitment maneuver in the pressure-controlled ventilation mode using a stepwise increasing PEEP (30/15 cmH(2)O) approach.