High frequency ventilation--the relationship between ventilator design and clinical strategy in the treatment of hyaline membrane disease and its complications: a brief review.

Progress in the application of techniques of HFV to clinical settings has been hampered by a lack of comparative data. Ventilator design and/or strategy place clear limitations on the effective and safe use of these devices. There is a definite need to develop clear therapeutic goals for HFV, to define the operating characteristics and limitations of each device, and to develop effective and safe strategies for their use in various clinical settings. Only then can adequate controlled clinical trials be performed and the role of these techniques be firmly established.