The use of high-frequency percussive ventilation after cardiac surgery significantly improves gas exchange without impairment of hemodynamics

Respiratory failure represents a significant source of morbidity and mortality for surgical patients. High-frequency percussive ventilation (HFPV) is emerging as a potentially effective rescue therapy in patients failing conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV). Use of HFPV is often limited by concerns for potential effects on hemodynamics, which is particularly tenuous in patients immediately after cardiac surgery. In this manuscript we evaluated the effects of HFPV on gas exchange and cardiac hemodynamics in the immediate postoperative period after cardiac surgery, in comparison with CMV