A new study by Tulane University suggests that repeated collapse and resume tiny cell bags in the lungs necessary for mechanical ventilation of breathing can cause tiny tissue damage, playing a key role in injuries.
Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), The study sheds light on the pulmonary injury caused by the respiratory, a complication that has gained increased attention during the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to an increase in patients who required mechanical ventilation. These devices draw the rich in an oxygen air in a patient’s air ducts when they are unable to breathe adequately on their own.
The study acknowledged that cellular intake/disorientation – when airbags collapsed repeatedly openly and closure – represents only 2-5% of the energy dispersion during ventilation, but is directly associated with a lung injury.
It is like a tiny burst on the slim surface of the lung. Although small in size, it creates a power intensity of about 100 watts per square meter – comparable to sunlight exposure. ”
Donald P. Gaver, Head writer, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the School of Science and Engineering at Tulane University
ARDS is a serious lung condition that affects about 10% of patients with intensive care unit and has a mortality rate of 30-40%, even with modern ventilation techniques. Using a model of Pug ARDS, the group examined how the respiratory energy was transmitted and dissolved to the lungs.
The researchers found that the reduction of this type of energy spreading has led to a rapid recovery, while patients continued to worsen when 5-10% of the cells underwent recurring intake/disorientation.
The study suggests that minimizing these repetitive collapse and repetition cycles could significantly reduce the pulmonary injury caused by the respiratory. Researchers have noted that adapting ventilation strategies to prevent such events can improve the results for patients with critical disease.
The findings of the study could also help inform the development of new ventilation protocols aimed at reducing lung injury and improving patient care in intensive care units worldwide.
“Tracking steps should include the development of real -time monitoring devices to quantify re -operation events and integrate these data into treatment strategies to optimize ventilation and improve patients’ results,” Gaver said.
This research was completed in collaboration with the University of Vermond, the University of New York University (Suny Upstate) and the University of Maryland’s injury center.
Source:
Magazine report:
Gaver III, DP, et al. (2025) Mechanical Ventilation Analysis: Recruitment focuses the harmful power on the ventilated lung. Pnas. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2419374122.
