Dr. Jukka Takala
Kuopio University Hospital
Kuopio, Finland
Case History
The patient is a 40 year-old male with pneumococcal pneumonia and ARDS and currently recovering from a severe oxygenation failure. He has been sedated and mechanically ventilated.
Case Report
Sedation was gradually decreased and the patient began to regain consciousness. The ventilation was changed to pressure support mode (PSV).
Both oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbondioxide production (VCO2) increased as the work of breathing increased with spontaneous breathing. The trend picture shows no changes in hemodynamic parameters: heart rate, SpO2, systemic arterial pressure, CVP or pulmonary artery pressure.
The patient was subsequently switched back to a controlled mechanical ventilation after which a dramatic drop in VO2 and VCO2 were noted as the patient’s work of breathing was reduced.
