Mechanical Energy and Power: Time to Incorporate Them into Routine Monitoring of Mechanical Ventilation?

Editorial| May 2024 Mechanical Energy and Power: Time to Incorporate Them into Routine Monitoring of Mechanical Ventilation? Marcelo Gama de Abreu, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., D.E.S.A.I.C.; Marcelo Gama de Abreu, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., D.E.S.A.I.C. 1Division of Intensive Care and Resuscitation, Outcomes Research Consortium, and Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesiology, Integrated Hospital-Care Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3554-883X Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Eduardo L. V. Costa, M.D., Ph.D. Eduardo L. V. Costa, M.D., Ph.D. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Author and Article Information This editorial accompanies the article on p. 920. Accepted for publication January 25, 2024. Address correspondence to Dr. Gama de Abreu: Anesthesiology May 2024, Vol. 140, 877–880. https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000004927 Connected Content Article: Association of Mechanical Energy and Power with Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Lung Resection Surgery: A Post Hoc Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trial Data Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Cite Icon Cite Get Permissions Search Site Citation Marcelo Gama de Abreu, Eduardo L. V. Costa; Mechanical Energy and Power: Time to Incorporate Them into Routine Monitoring of Mechanical Ventilation?. Anesthesiology 2024; 140:877–880 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000004927 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll PublicationsAnesthesiology Search Advanced Search Topics: mechanical energy, ventilation monitoring Mechanical ventilation with positive pressure is a cornerstone of practice in patients undergoing general anesthesia. However, it puts the lungs at risk of injury, so-called ventilator-induced lung injury.1 Notably, the risk of injury to the lung parenchyma when one-lung ventilation is conducted is higher than during two-lung ventilation.2 This in part explained by the fact that during one-lung ventilation, a higher respiratory rate (RR), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), inspiratory flow, tidal volume (VT; when normalized to the lung area available for ventilation), and driving pressure (plateau pressure minus PEEP) are necessary to maintain adequate gas exchange as compared to two-lung ventilation. In other words, the amount of mechanical energy that is transferred per unit of time from the ventilator to the ventilated lung, so-called mechanical power, is usually higher during one-lung ventilation than during two-lung ventilation.3 This might have clinical implications for the practice of... You do not currently have access to this content.