Using liquid ventilation to improve lung function in patients with respiratory distress syndrome: a comprehensive review of the literature.

This article is a review of the research findings on the subject of liquid ventilation and how it has shown to improve lung function in patients with respiratory distress syndrome. An overview of the physiology behind the success of liquid ventilation, including current research outcomes, is presented. The literature documenting research data was obtained through an internet search of articles published from 1962 to 2002. Respiratory distress syndrome is a potential complication for any patient that has suffered damage to the lungs. It continues to carry a significantly high mortality rate, in spite of multiple conventional treatments currently in use. The latest clinical research has led to the development of a new treatment for the syndrome called liquid ventilation, whereby chemicals called perfluorocarbons are used as a medium to transport vital respiratory gases into and out of the lungs. Research on animal and human subjects has shown that liquid ventilation therapy can improve lung function in certain patients with severe pulmonary dysfunction when conventional treatments have failed.