BACKGROUND: Volume-controlled ventilation (VCV) in one-lung ventilation (OLV) is most commonly used in thoracotomy, but pressure-controlled ventilation-volume guaranteed (PCV-VG) is used in elderly patients to improve arterial oxygenation, reduce inflammatory factors, and decrease acute lung injury (ALI). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of these 2 different ventilation modes – VCV versus PCV-VG – during OLV in elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy from September 2018 to February 2019 at Cangzhou Central Hospital, Hebei, China were randomly assigned to a VCV group or a PCV-VG group. Pulmonary dynamic compliance (Cdyn), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), arterial blood gas, and inflammatory factors were monitored to assess lung function. The Clinical Trial Registration Identifier number is ChiCTR1800017835.

RESULTS: Compared with the VCV group, PIP in the PCV-VG group was significantly lower (P=0.01) and Cdyn was significantly higher at 30 min after one-lung ventilation (P=0.01). MAP of the PCV-VG group was higher than in the VCV group (P=0.01). MAP of the PCV-VG group was also higher than in the VCV group at 30 min after one-lung ventilation (P=0.01). The concentration of neutrophil elastase (NE) in the PCV-VG group was significantly lower than in the VCV group (P=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with VCV, PCV-VG mode reduced airway pressure in patients undergoing thoracotomy and also decreased the release of NE and reduced inflammatory response and lung injury. We conclude that PCV-VG mode can protect the lung function of elderly patients undergoing thoracotomy.

Keywords: one-lung ventilation, ventilator-induced lung injury, acute lung injury, Aged, 80 and over, Positive-Pressure Respiration, Respiration, Artificial, Respiratory Function Tests, Thoracotomy, Tidal Volume