Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Respiratory Monitoring and Pulmonary Physiology

The high prevalence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), its morbidity and mortality continue to fare a huge burden in the intensive care unit. More than 40 years ago, experimental studies have highlighted that, albeit essential, mechanical ventilation could be harmful to lungs and more recently to the diaphragm. Despite life-saving advances in mechanical ventilation (such as low tidal-volume ventilation, neuromuscular blockers …