An infant with acute exacerbation of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is placed on mechanical ventilation.

In BPD, the lungs are already injured and prone tovolutrauma and barotrauma. Ventilator strategies often include“gentle ventilation”withlower tidal volumesandpermissive hypercapniato reduce lung injury. This accepts slightly elevated CO₂ levels to avoid high pressures.

“Permissive hypercapnia is a lung-protective strategy used in infants with BPD to minimize ventilator-induced injury. Target PaCO₂ levels are allowed to be mildly elevated as long as pH is maintained.”

(Referenced from CCRN Pediatric – Direct Care: Pulmonary, Chronic Lung Disease Management)