The effect of PEEP ventilation on hemodynamics and regional blood flow with special regard to coronary blood flow.

An experimental study was performed to evaluate the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on central hemodynamics and on regional blood flow (RBF) using the radioactive microsphere (MS) method. Ten dogs with intact lungs and 10 dogs with oleic acid-induced pulmonary edema were ventilated with PEEP 10 and PEEP 20 (cmH2O). PEEP significantly reduced cardiac output (CO) by 25% at PEEP 10 and 40--50% at PEEP 20 despite volume expansion with dextran 60. RV afterload rose markedly due to a significant increase of pulmonary vascular resistance. PEEP tended to redistribute CO in favor of brain, heart and adrenals, at the expense of stomach, pancreas and thyroid glands. Hepatic artery flow was moderately reduced; renal RBF was seriously affected only when PEEP caused an extreme low-output state. RBF to the RV remained essentially unchanged, whereas RBF to the LV decreased, roughly paralleling the respective ventricular work. Nevertheless, the RV may suffer from underperfusion during PEEP, since its tension-time-index rises; this may indicate increased oxygen needs exceeding actual oxygen delivery.