Airway pressure release ventilation: A pediatric case series

Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) is a relatively new mode of mechanical ventilation (MV) first described in animal studies in 1987 and in humans in 1988. It is a time-triggered, time-cycled, pressured-limited mode where a high level of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is maintained with brief regular releases in pressure, and spontaneous breathing is allowed throughout the cycle. In theory, it is consistent with a lung protective approach while having some hypothetical advantages over HFOV. The use of this mode of ventilation in pediatrics has been limited. The authors describe their experience with this mode of ventilation in a series of pediatric patients.