Originally Posted by VickyRN
Partial liquid ventilation (PLV) to treat respiratory distress syndrome. Did it ever get beyond the "experimental" stage? Is this being used anywhere???
Thanks!
Liquid ventilation is still used, to my knowledge, in experimental settings. It was pioneered at Thomas Jefferson Medical Center in Philadelphia, and the first neonate to be treated (over 10 years ago) was a 24-25 weeker with little hope of survival. Out of sheer desperation over the inability to oxygenate the baby due to lack of alveolar development, the parents and neonatologists agreed to attempt liquid ventilation. The liquid used is not liquid oxygen, however, it is a substance called perflurocarbon (sp?), which is a liquid with a high affinity for oxygen. The liquid is instilled via the ETT, and the infant placed on mechanical ventilation. Her oxygen saturation improved upon the initiation of therapy. I don't know how long her treatment lasted, and I'm pretty sure that she was eventually switched over to conventional ventilation. Ultimately, she was discharged without any apparent significant problems, and her mother eventually became a neonatal nurse. There was a TV special done several years ago about this little girl, possibly a TLC program.
It hasn't become a widespread treatment by any means. I suspect that part of the reason for this is that most babies who would benefit from this type of treatment are so very premature as to likely suffer from other significant complications such as IVH, sepsis, etc., making the value of the liquid ventilation treatment questionable.
Would you like to comment?
