ObjectiveTo examine determinants of right ventricular function throughout the ventilatory cycle under volume-controlled mechanical ventilation with various positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) stages.DesignProspective observational animal pilot study.SettingAnimal research laboratory at a university hospital.SubjectsEight healthy swine under volume- controlled mechanical ventilation.InterventionsFlow probes were implanted in eight swine in order to continuously measure blood flow in the pulmonary artery and inferior vena cava. After a recovery phase of 14 days, the swine were subjected to various PEEP stages (0, 5, 10 cm H (2) O) during volume-controlled positive pressure ventilation.Measurements and Main ResultsContinuous flow measurement took place in the pulmonary artery and inferior vena cava. Data on standard hemodynamic parameters were additionally acquired. Respiration-phase-specific analysis of right ventricular cardiac output and of additional hemodynamic function parameters followed, after calculation of mean values throughout five respiration cycles.PEEP at 5 cm H2O led to significant decreases in inferior vena cava flow (4.1%), and in right ventricular cardiac output (5.2%); the respective decreases at PEEP 10 cm H2O were 13.9% and 18.3%. In the inspiration phase at PEEP 10 cm H2O, results revealed an overproportionally pronounced decrease in comparison with the expiration phase in inferior vena cava flow (-24.6% vs. -10%) and right ventricular cardiac output (-35% vs. -13.5%). This phenomenon is presumably caused by a PEEP-related increase in mean airway pressure by the amount of 10.7 cm H2O in inspiration.ConclusionsIncreases in PEEP during volume-controlled mechanical ventilation leads to respiration-phase-specific reduction of right ventricular cardiac output, with a significantly pronounced decrease during the inspiration phase. This decrease in cardiac output should be taken into particular consideration for patients with already critically reduced cardiac output. (Crit Care Med 1999; 27:953-958)