Time-controlled adaptive ventilation in patients with ARDS—lack of protocol adherence a systematic review

Abstract

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) describes a polyetiological clinical picture characterized by diffuse alveolar damage and acute respiratory failure which has a prevalence of 10% in intensive care units [1]. One factor that influences mortality is the ventilatory strategy in invasively ventilated ARDS patients. Since the ARMA trial, there has been no multicenter randomized controlled trial that has been able to assign further mortality benefit to a particular ventilatory strategy [2]. The main goals of invasive ventilation strategies are to ensure an acceptable gas exchange while preventing ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) therefore buying time for the lung to heal [3]