Effect of inhaled gas density on the pendelluft-induced lung injury

Helium, sulfur hexafluoride-oxygen, and air were modeled to examine the role of the gas density on the pendelluft-induced lung injury (PILI) under high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). Large eddy simulation coupled with physiological resistance-compliance boundary conditions was applied to capture pendelluft-induced gas entrapment and mechanical stresses in an image-based human lung model. The flow characteristics were strongly dependent on the inspired gas density. The flow partitioning, globally between the left and right lung and locally between adjacent units branches, was significantly affected by the density of inhaled gas and was more balanced when inspiring lighter gas. The incomplete loops of flow-volume and volume-pressure curves were significantly influenced by the variations of the flow redistribution, resistance, and turbulence associated with the pendelluft mechanism. Inhaling light gas reduced the entrapped gas volume and mechanical stress surrounding carina ridges signifying the important role of inhaled gas properties on PILI. In general, lung ventilation by HFOV with a gas mixture of large amounts of Helium is thought to mitigate ventilator complications.