Objective: Considering the issues of intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) in non-homogenous pathological lung processes, the author built a mathematical model of tri-compartment non-homogenously injured lungs ventilated with a new mode of IPPV – multi-level ventilation. The author defines multi-level ventilation as a type (modification) of IPPV consisting of background ventilation using the CMV, PCV or PS (ASB) ventilation mode and an added level called “on-background ventilation“ consisting of multiple levels of PEEPh (PEEP high) with variable frequency and duration of transition between individual levels of PEEP. The objective was to prove whether in cases of considerably non-homogenous gas distribution in acute pathological disorders of the lungs it is possible to improve gas distribution into slow broncho-alveolar compartments while only minimally or not at all increasing the volume load of the fast compartments by using the multi-level IPPV. Setting: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit. Materials and methods: Multi-level ventilation on three pressure levels was carried out by a mathematical model as a combination of pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) and two levels of PEEP: PEEP (constant) and PEEPh (PEEP high). Results: Comparing single-level IPPV in the PCV mode with the tri-level ventilation (PCV+PEEPh/PEEP), the author found that the loading of the slow compartments in the model was considerably improved by as much as 50–60% in comparison to the baseline value. This difference, in absolute figures, reached as much as a 2–10 times increase in volume, or a 1.2–3 times increase in minute ventilation in compartments k4 and k5. Conclusions: The mathematical model proves that the application of multi-level IPPV can achieve considerable changes in gas distribution in the lung parenchyma affected by a non-homogenous pathological process. The mathematical model requires further verification in the clinical setting to answer questions regarding its efficacy.

        Key words: IPPV – multi-level ALV – ARDS – ALI