We have previously shown that airway insufflation (AI) reduces dead space (VD) and minute ventilation (VL) in patients with respiratory failure, and when used chronically leads to lowered and more stable arterial PCO2. The present study was designed to measure the effect of increasing AI flow rate on VD and other aspects of gas exchange in respiratory failure in order to examine the hypothesis that AI exerts its main physiologic effect by progressive reductions of VD. Five patients with varying degrees of respiratory failure caused by either restrictive or obstructive lung disease were studied by means of the specialized techniques we developed to analyze gas exchange during AI. At 1 L/min (as in transtracheal oxygenation), at 5 L/min, and 8 L/min, AI produced progressive reductions in VD, tidal volume, and VL. Contrary to our previous study, some of these patients accompanied the decrease in VD with not only decreases in VL but with slight rises in alveolar ventilation (VA) and decrements in arterial PCO2. The greatest percentile decreases in VD and VL occurred in those with the smallest initial control values for each of these parameters. In summary, AI exerts its main effects on gas exchange through the reductions in VD that it produces, and the accompanying decreases in VL and/or slight increases in VA seem to stem from the latter.

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