From the Research
Tidal Volume in Healthy Adults
- The normal tidal volume for a healthy adult is not explicitly stated in the provided studies, but we can look at the tidal volumes used in different scenarios:
- A study published in 2012 1 used a high tidal volume of 10 mL/kg and a low tidal volume of 6 mL/kg in patients undergoing one-lung ventilation.
- Another study published in 2012 2 defined low tidal volumes as below 10 mL/kg, traditional tidal volumes as 10-12 mL/kg, and high tidal volumes as more than 12 mL/kg of predicted body weight.
- A study published in 2000 3 used tidal volumes of approximately 6 mL/kg (approximately 500 mL) and 10.5 mL/kg (approximately 719 mL) in patients undergoing bag-valve-mask ventilation.
Tidal Volume Recommendations
- The studies suggest that tidal volumes should be limited to less than 6 mL/kg of predicted body weight to prevent ventilator-induced lung injury 4, 5.
- However, the optimal tidal volume for a healthy adult is not clearly defined, and more research is needed to determine the normal tidal volume for this population.
- It is worth noting that the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council have recommended decreasing tidal volume during basic life support ventilation to minimize stomach inflation 3.