Intratracheal Pulmonary Ventilation at Low Airway Pressures in a Ventilator-Induced Model of Acute Respiratory Failure Improves Lung Function and Survival

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The pulmonary parenchyma in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) is commonly not involved in a homogenous disease process. Conventional mechanical ventilation (MV) at elevated positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) aims at recruiting collapsed or nonventilated lung units. Invariably, those pressures are also transmitted to the healthiest regions, with possible extension of the …