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From the University Department of Anesthesia, University Hospital, Nottingham, UK
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Jonathan G. Hardman, Clinical Senior Lecturer, University Department of Anesthesia, University Hospital, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK. Address email to j.hardman{at}nottingham.ac.uk
| Abstract |
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IMPLICATIONS: We present an original, mathematical model of ventilation and gas exchange. We validate it against previously published clinical data to allow its use in future theoretical investigations where data may be unavailable from patients.
| Introduction |
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| Methods |
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The validation investigations.
Two validation investigations were performed, each using a previously published, clinical investigation to provide input data. Each validation investigation matched the mathematical model to aspects of the clinical data from previous investigations and examined the models ability to reproduce physiological data from the clinical investigation.
Previous, clinical investigation used in validation investigation #1.
The Liebenberg et al. study (6) was used in validation investigation #1. The lungs of 12 healthy anesthetized adults were mechanically ventilated via a tracheal double-lumen tube (DLT). The distal tip of both lumens lay in the trachea. The patients lungs were ventilated either via one of the lumens (single-lumen tube, SLT) or in a "reduced dead space" configuration (DLT), with inhalation via one lumen and exhalation via the other.
Ventilation initially comprised tidal volume (VT) 10 mL/kg and respiratory rate (RR) 10 breaths/min. RR was increased sequentially to 13, 21, and 40 breaths/min while VT was reduced to 7.5, 5, and 2.5 mL/kg, ensuring approximately constant expired minute volume. At each VT and RR configuration, peak and mean airway pressures (PAWpeak and PAWmean) and end-tidal and arterial PCO2 (PÉCO2 and PaCO2) were recorded while patients lungs were ventilated in both the "normal" and "reduced dead space" modes with 10-min equilibration for each mode.
Validation investigation #1.
We matched the model to the mean of the results of this investigation because insufficient data were provided from each subject to allow matching to individuals. Assumption of some physiological values was required where they were not provided in the study. These are included in the methodological description below.
Calculation using current, standard methods (validation investigation #1).
Predictions of PaCO2 after the adjustments in RR and VT were also calculated using the equation new PaCO2 = old PaCO2 x old alveolar minute volume/new alveolar minute volume (Equation 1) in combination with Nunn and Hills conclusions on the variation of VDanat with VT in the anesthetized patient (8).
Previous, clinical investigation used in validation investigation #2.
The Nunn and Hill study (8) was used in validation investigation #2. Temperature, CO2 production, PaCO2, PÉCO2, VT, and RR were measured using standard techniques in 12 healthy, anesthetized subjects during elective, general anesthesia. VDalv and VDanat were measured using the Bohr-Enghoff equation (9) and Fowlers technique (10). The aim of this investigation had been to investigate the variation in dead spaces during anesthesia and the variation of dead space volumes during alteration in VT.
Validation investigation #2.
Provision of sufficient physiological detail allowed matching of the model to individual subjects whose lungs were mechanically ventilated. The mathematical model does not currently include algorithms for gas flow and VQ variations during spontaneous ventilation, which differ markedly from those in patients whose lungs are mechanically ventilated. Eleven subjects had a complete data set and were incorporated as input data (8). Assumption of some physiological values was required where they were not provided in the study. These are included in the methodological description below.
Calculation using current, standard methods (validation investigation #1).
Additionally, prediction of PaCO2 was made using a conventional formula (Equation 2):
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Bias was calculated as the mean of the models error in predicting the variable under consideration, and 95% limits of agreement were calculated as the 95% confidence interval (CI95%) of the bias. CI95% was calculated as mean ± 1.95 x SD.
| Results |
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Validation investigation #2.
Data describing the accuracy of the models predictions of the clinical subjects PaCO2 and PÉCO2 are given in Table 3 and Figures 2 and 3. The correlation coefficient was not statistically significant between the measured values of PaCO2 and PÉCO2 and the error in their predicted values.
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| Discussion |
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Even a simple model of respiratory physiology would be expected to predict the general behavior observed in the clinical investigation. However, application of Equation 1 in combination with Nunn and Hills conclusions on the variation of VDanat with VT in the anesthetized patient (8) produced predictions of PaCO2 whose errors were much larger than those produced by our modeling. It is clear that this modeling produces a significant advance on the application of current theory.
Exact matching of the models predictions for PaCO2, PAWpeak, and PAWmean at the various RR and VT combinations from clinical investigation #1 would be surprising and coincidental because the model was matched to the mean of a heterogeneous group. Reasons for inexact matching, other than the expected population variation, include the assumption of incorrect physiological data for subjects such as the VQ distribution and oxygen consumption. The difficulty of prediction is further increased by the induction of general anesthesia in the patient population, which introduces further physiological variation. Error in the assumption of incorrect population physiological data is probably unavoidable. We considered that the accuracy of our blinded, prospective matching of PaCO2, PÉCO2, and PAW (all of which were within 10% of the original, clinical observations in all cases) was acceptably accurate and that this accurate matching represented acceptable validation of pertinent parts of this lung model. In particular, matching of the model to the clinical finding of an increasing PaCO2 during reducing VT and increasing RR (with constant minute volume) implies that use of a "constant-volume, non-mixing, poly-laminar" model of VDanat is acceptable in this context.
The second investigation used to provide input data (8) was the only investigation that we could find where sufficient detail was provided of each subject to allow us to match the model to individual subjects. Thus, very little blinded assumption of physiological data was required. The models accurate prospective predictions of PaCO2 (95% limits of agreement: -2.6% to 0.8%) and PÉCO2 (95% limits of agreement: -4.9% to 1.2%) during mechanical ventilation represent very convincing validation of pertinent aspects of the model. As above, attempts at prediction of the PaCO2 using conventional means (Equation 2) produced a result whose error was much larger than that produced using our mathematical model.
A limitation of this model validation is that our matching and predictions have been in healthy subjects, whereas subsequent investigations will deal with deranged physiology and disease. First, both sets of clinical data were obtained from subjects under general anesthesia, a situation in which respiratory function is significantly disturbed. Second, this validation in healthy, anesthetized subjects allows us to claim adequate validation of the processes of the model. As long as the model is well matched to the physiological factors in patients with respiratory diseases then estimations using the model will have similar accuracy to those presented here. Finally, there is a paucity of data of sufficient detail to perform this type of validation at all, and it is not feasible to validate the model in the presence of a variety of diseases.
This validation assumes that PÉCO2 is determined absolutely by physiological circumstances. In practice, however, PÉCO2 may be measured at different sites within a breathing system, giving different values (12). Incomplete exhalation may yield a mixture of serial dead space gas and alveolar gas, causing a misleading reduction in PÉCO2. Measuring PÉCO2 at a standardized site within the breathing system and encouraging complete exhalation whenever possible by the use of an adequate expiratory time will help assure a more reliable PÉCO2. Despite the difficulties in interpreting single PÉCO2 values, trends within subjects are likely to be accurate.
In conclusion, we have validated important parts of an original, multicompartmental mathematical lung model by accurately reproducing the following in healthy, anesthetized subjects:
This validation allows us to recommend the use of this model of pulmonary physiology for further theoretical investigations into methods of mechanical ventilation, CO2 clearance and alveolar pressures. The investigation of new methods of estimating VDalv is particularly important in monitoring patients on intensive care units with acute respiratory distress syndrome (1).
| Appendix |
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Partial pressures and volumes of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor are included in the model. Incremental volumes of each gas move from the models pulmonary capillary to the alveolar compartment or vice versa until the partial pressure in each differs by <1%. The process is repeated for every gas in every pulmonary compartment. The process of equilibration is complicated by the nonlinear solubilities of gases and by alterations in each compartments volume during gas equilibration necessitating repeated recalculation of compartmental pressure.
Mass is conserved at every mathematical step. The ideal gas laws (i.e., the constancy of pressure x volume/temperature) are applied within the model to compensate for the effects of changes in respiratory tract pressures and gas temperatures.
The effect of gravity on the interstitial pressures in the lung, and thus the "resting volume" of individual alveolar units, is included in the model (7). The compartmental interstitial pressure is modeled as increasing by 0.3 cm H2O for every centimeter down the lung from the highest point. The resulting resting distension of the apical alveoli compared to those at the bases produces a realistic distribution of volume and ventilation.
Several studies suggest that differences between static and dynamic compliance are determined by viscoelastic behavior of pulmonary tissues in addition to the intrapulmonary gas redistribution seen in diseased lungs (13,14). A simple model of tissue plasticity is included. An "elastance multiplier" is used to scale the intracompartmental pressure. When compartmental volume is greater than "resting volume" (that volume assumed when distending pressure equals zero), the elastance multiplier decreases, during each 1 ms time-slice, by 0.00002 x Sampling interval x current volume/basic volume. Thus when compartmental volume is double the "resting volume" the elastance multiplier decreases by 0.00004 per millisecond. The elastance multiplier is allowed to decrease as far as 0.8 (14). To counteract this "relaxing" effect of alveolar compartmental distension, the elastance multiplier constantly increases towards its basic value of unity with a half-time of 2 s (14,15). Consequently, the elastance of ventilating compartments is continually changing during ventilation closely mimicking the behavior described by DAngelo et al. (13) and by Milic-Emili et al. (14).
Compartmental compliance was calculated as follows: If CurrentVol > BasicVol then Pressure = 10 x (IntP + Pull + Elastance x ((MaxVol - BasicVol)/(MaxVol - CurrentVol) - 1))). Otherwise Pressure = 10 x (IntP + Pull + 1.5 x Elastance x (1 - BasicVol/CurrentVol)), where the resulting pressure is cm H2O greater than atmospheric pressure and volume is mL. CurrentVol represents the current alveolar unit volume; MaxVol represents the maximum volume of the alveolar unit; BasicVol represents the volume of the unit at a distending pressure of zero; lntP is the interstitial pressure of each unit; Pull is the gravity-induced negative pressure for each units interstitium; Elastance is the units pressure change for a change in volume at the current position on the units elastance curve.
Oxygen content was calculated as: n = PO2 x 10(0.48*(pH - 7.4) - 0.024 * (temp - 37) - 0.0013 * BE); SO2 = 1/(1 + 55.4667/(N x (N2 + 2.6667))); CO2 = 1.34 x SO2 x Hb + 0.2 x PO2 (16); where PO2 denotes partial pressure of oxygen (kPa), SO2 denotes oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (0%100%), CO2 denotes oxygen content of blood (mL/L), temp denotes blood temperature (°C), BE denotes base excess (mmol/L) and Hb denotes hemoglobin concentration in blood (g/L). This algorithm provided the best compromise between accuracy and computational efficiency (17).
| References |
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