In this study of mechanically ventilated patients, 31% of study participants had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) at some point during their ICU stay. Optimal lung-protective ventilation was not used in a majority of patients.

Patients with ARDS after mechanical ventilation (MV) onset had a similar 90-day mortality as those with ARDS at MV onset.

Higher airway pressures at MV onset, higher PEEP, and higher BMI were associated with the development of ARDS after MV onset.

We enrolled 1,657 participants on MV of whom 334 had ARDS at MV onset and 180 developed ARDS after MV onset.

Average tidal volume at the initiation of MV was 8.7 mL/kg of predicted body weight (PBW) for participants with ARDS at MV onset, 8.6 mL/kg PBW for those who developed ARDS after MV onset, and 8.5 mL/kg PBW for those who never developed ARDS.

Read More