Many animal studies have shown that high peak inspiratory pressures (PIP) during mechanical ventilation can induce acute lung injury with hyaline membranes. Since 1984 we have limited PIP in patients with ARDS by reducing tidal volume, allowing spontaneous breathing with SIMV and disregarding hypercapnia. Since 1987 50 patients with severe ARDS with a "lung injury score" greater than or equal to 2.5 and a mean PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 94 were managed in this manner. The mean maximum PaCO2 was 62 mmHg, the highest being 129 mmHg. The hospital mortality was significantly lower than that predicted by Apache II (16% vs. 39.6%, chi 2 = 11.64, p less than 0.001). Only one death was due to respiratory failure, caused by pneumocystis pneumonia. 10 patients had a "ventilator score" greater than 80, which has previously predicted 100% mortality from respiratory failure. Only 2 died, neither from respiratory failure. There was no significant difference in lung injury score, ventilator score, PaO2/FiO2 or maximum PaCO2 between survivors and non-survivors. We suggest that this ventilatory management may substantially reduce mortality in ARDS, particularly from respiratory failure.

A mathematical model of the ARDS lung, with simulated gravitational superimposed pressure, evaluated the effect of varying alveolar threshold opening pressures (TOP), PEEP and peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) on the static pressure-volume (PV) curve. The lower inflection point (Pflex) was affected by SP and TOP, and did not accurately indicate PEEP required to prevent end-expiratory collapse. Reinflation of collapsed lung units (recruitment) continued on the linear portion of the PV curve, which had a slope at any volume greater than the total compliance of aerated alveoli. As recruitment diminished, the reduced PV slope could produce an upper Pflex at 20 to 30 cm H2O pressure. An upper Pflex caused by alveolar overdistension could be modified or eliminated by recruitment with high TOP. With constant PIP as PEEP increased, and TOP range of 5 to 60 cm H2O, PEEP to prevent end-expiratory collapse was indicated by minimum PV slope above 20 cm H2O, minimum hysteresis, and maximum volume at a pressure of 20 cm H2O. With constant inflation volume as PEEP increased, the effect on PV slope was unpredictable. Although increased PV slope indicated recruitment, maximum PV slope usually underestimated PEEP required to prevent end-expiratory collapse. Therefore, with this model the PV curve did not reliably predict optimal ventilator settings.

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A mathematical model of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) lung, incorporating simulated gravitational superimposed pressure and alveolar opening and closing pressures, was used to study the mean tidal pressure-volume (PV) slope ("effective compliance") during incremental and decremental positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) trials with constant tidal volume (VT) "ventilation." During incremental PEEP, the PEEP giving maximum mean tidal PV slope did not coincide with "open lung PEEP" (minimum PEEP preventing end expiratory collapse of 97.5% of alveoli inflated at end-inspiration), and it varied greatly with varying VT and "lung mechanics." Incremental PEEP with a low VT tests recruitment by the peak pressure, not prevention of collapse by PEEP. During decremental PEEP with a low VT, maximum mean tidal PV slope occurred with PEEP 2-3.5 cm H2O below open-lung PEEP, unless closing pressure was high. High VT, high "specific compliance," and high opening pressures caused slightly greater underestimation of open-lung PEEP. Maximum mean tidal PV slope was always higher (e.g., 93.7 versus 16.69 ml/cm H2O), and the variation in PV slope with PEEP was greater, during decremental PEEP. The maximum PV slope during a decremental PEEP trial with a low VT may be a useful method to determine open-lung PEEP in ARDS, and should be studied clinically.

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New evidence requires a reinterpretation of the inflation pressure-volume curve and suggests that neither the lower nor the upper inflection point provides reliable information to determine safe ventilator settings in the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Recruitment probably continues throughout the inflation pressure-volume curve, and studies of the deflation pressure-volume curve, reinflations after partial deflation, or decremental positive end-expiratory pressure trials after a recruitment maneuver are probably needed to determine open-lung positive end-expiratory pressure.