Jet ventilation for surgical interventions in the upper airway.

The clinical applications of jet ventilation (JV) in ear, nose, and throat surgery can be best understood by the characteristics that distinguish this form of ventilation from conventional positive pressure ventilation. By definition, JV is based on the application of gas portions under high pressure through an unblocked catheter into the airway, which is open to the ambient air. Beneficial opportunities arise in JV, which otherwise are not available in regular ventilation.