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Mechanical Ventilation (MV) is an important intensive care therapy. It is often used in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to treat respiratory distress syndrome. This paper uses model-based methods in a first in-depth attempt to quantify the underlying lung mechanics in NICU patients.

Up to 24 h of airway flow and pressure data were recorded in 10 mechanically ventilated patients. A single compartment model with added term for the pressure drop across the endotracheal tube is used to identify breath-specific elastance and resistance.

The model was fitted to 422,475 (79%) breaths of 535,428, with the remainder comprising a range of asynchronies. Elastance was median 1.62 [IQR: 0.85–2.25] cmH₂O/ml and resistance 5.22 [0.00–33.85] cmH₂O.s/ml. Patients treated with surfactant therapy had significantly lower specific elastance (adjusting for weight) than those without (p ≤ 0.01 …