The effects of ventilation on left-to-right shunt and regional cerebral oxygen saturation: a self-controlled trial

Background Increase of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is an efficient method of modulating pulmonary and systemic blood flows (Qp/Qs) for patients with left-to-right (L-R) shunt, and is also closely associated with insufficient oxygen exchange for pulmonary hypoperfusion. So that it might be a preferred regime of maintaining arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) within an optimal boundary via ventilation management in congenital heart disease (CHD) patients for the inconvenient measure of the PVR and Qp/Qs. However, the appropriate range of PaCO2 and patient-specific mechanical ventilation settings remain controversial for CHD children with L-R shunt.