Recommendations for mechanical ventilation of critically ill children from the Paediatric Mechanical Ventilation Consensus Conference (PEMVECC)
- Open Access
- 22.09.2017
- Conference Reports and Expert Panel
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Non-invasive support
High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
Non-invasive ventilation (NIV)
Ventilator modes
Setting the ventilator
Triggering
Setting the I:E ratio/inspiratory time
Maintaining spontaneous breathing
Setting the pressures
Setting tidal volume
Setting PEEP
Lung recruitment
Monitoring
Targets for oxygenation and ventilation
Oxygenation
Ventilation
Weaning and extubation readiness testing
Supportive measures
Humidification, suctioning, positioning and chest physiotherapy
Endotracheal tube and patient circuit
Miscellaneous
Specific patient populations
Lung hypoplasia
Chronically ventilated/congenital patient
Cardiac children
Reflecting on the consensus conference
Subject | Available data | Applicability to specific disease conditions | |
|---|---|---|---|
RCT | Observational | ||
Non-invasive support | |||
Use of HFNC | None | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Use of CPAP | None | Yes | All disease conditions |
Non-invasive ventilation | Yes (n = 2) | Yes | All disease conditions |
Ventilator modes | |||
Conventional modes | None | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
HFOV | Yes (n = 2) | Yes | All disease conditions |
HFJV, HFPV | No | Yes | All disease conditions |
Liquid ventilation | No | No | All disease conditions |
ECMO | No | Yes | All disease conditions |
Setting the ventilator | |||
Patient-ventilator synchrony | No | Yes | All disease conditions |
I:E ratio/inspiratory time | No | No | All disease conditions |
Maintaining spontaneous breathing | No | No | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Plateau pressure | No | No | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Delta pressure/driving pressure | No | No | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Tidal volume | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
PEEP | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions, upper airway disorders |
Lung recruitment | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Monitoring | |||
Ventilation | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Oxygenation | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Tidal volume | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Lung mechanics | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Lung ultrasound | No | Yes | All disease conditions |
Targets for oxygenation and ventilation | |||
Oxygenation | No | No | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Ventilation | No | No | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Weaning and extubation readiness testing | |||
Weaning | Yes (n = 2) | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
NIV after extubation | No | Yes | All disease conditions |
Use of corticosteroids | Yes | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Supportive measures | |||
Humidification | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Endotracheal suctioning | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Chest physiotherapy | No | Yes | All disease conditions |
Bed head elevation | No | No | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
ETT and patient circuit | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Reducing dead space apparatus | No | Yes | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Heliox | No | Yes | Obstructive airway disease |
Use of manual ventilation | No | No | Healthy lungs, all disease conditions |
Non-invasive support | |
High-flow nasal cannula | No recommendation |
Continuous positive airway pressure | Consider in mixed disease Consider in mild-to-moderate cardiorespiratory failure No recommendation on optimal interface |
Non-invasive ventilation | Consider in mild-to-moderate disease, but not severe disease Consider in mild-to-moderate cardiorespiratory failure Should not delay intubation No recommendation on optimal interface |
Invasive ventilation | |
Mode | No recommendation |
High-frequency oscillatory ventilation | Consider when conventional ventilation fails May be used in cardiac patients |
High-frequency jet/percussive ventilation | No recommendation Do not use high-frequency jet ventilation in obstructive airway disease |
Liquid ventilation | Do not use |
Extra-corporeal life support | Consider in reversible disease if conventional ventilation and/or HFOV fails |
Triggering | Target patient-ventilator synchrony |
Inspiratory time/I:E ratio | Set inspiratory time by respiratory system mechanics and underlying disease (use time constant and observe flow-time scalar). Use higher rates in restrictive disease |
Maintaining spontaneous breathing | No recommendation |
Plateau pressure | Keep ≤28 or ≤29–32 cmH2O with increased chest wall elastance, ≤30 cmH2O in obstructive airway disease |
Delta pressure | Keep ≤10 cmH2O for healthy lungs, unknown for any disease condition |
Tidal volume | Keep ≤10 mL/kg ideal bodyweight, maybe lower in lung hypoplasia syndromes |
PEEP | 5−8 cmH2O, higher PEEP necessary dictated by underlying disease severity (also in cardiac patients) Use PEEP titration, consider lung recruitment (also in cardiac patients) Add PEEP in obstructive airway disease when there is air-trapping and to facilitate triggering Use PEEP to stent upper airways in case of malacia |
Monitoring | |
Ventilation | Measure PCO2 in arterial or capillary blood samples Consider transcutaneous CO2 monitoring Measure end-tidal CO2 in all ventilated children |
Oxygenation | Measure SpO2 in all ventilated children Measure arterial PO2 in moderate-to-severe disease Measure pH, lactate and central venous saturation in moderate-to-severe disease Measure central venous saturation as marker for cardiac output |
Tidal volume | Measure near Y-piece of patient circuit in children <10 kg |
Lung mechanics | Measure peak inspiratory pressure and/or plateau pressure, mean airway pressure, positive end-expiratory pressure. Consider measuring transpulmonary pressure, (dynamic) compliance, intrinsic PEEP Monitor pressure–time and flow-time scalar |
Lung ultrasound | Consider in appropriately trained hands |
Targets | |
Oxygenation | SpO2 ≥ 95% when breathing room air for healthy lungs No threshold for any disease condition or cardiac patients, but keep SpO2 ≤97% For PARDS: SpO2 92–97% when PEEP < 10cmH2O and 88–92% when PEEP ≥10 cmH2O |
Ventilation | PCO2 35–45 mmHg for healthy lungs Higher PCO2 accepted for acute (non-)pulmonary patients unless specific diseases dictate otherwise Target pH >7.20 Target normal pH for patients with pulmonary hypertension |
Weaning and extubation readiness | |
Weaning | Start weaning as soon as possible Perform daily extubation readiness testing |
Non-invasive ventilation after extubation | Consider non-invasive ventilation in neuromuscular patients |
Corticosteroids | Use in patients at increased risk for post-extubation stridor |
Supportive measures | |
Humidification | Use humidification |
Endotracheal suctioning | Do not perform routinely, only on indication. No routine instillation of isotonic saline prior to suctioning |
Chest physiotherapy | Do not use routinely Consider using cough-assist devices in neuromuscular patients |
Positioning | Maintain head of bed elevated 30–45° |
Endotracheal tube and patient circuit | Use cuffed endotracheal tube, keep cuff pressure ≤20 cmH2O Minimise dead space by added components Use double-limb circuits for invasive ventilation Do not use home ventilators during the acute phase in the intensive care unit |
Miscellanenous | |
Hand-ventilation | Avoid hand ventilation unless specific conditions dictate otherwise |