ABSTRACT
Over the last 10 years much of the emphasis regarding mechanical ventilation of critically ill patients with acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has focused on lung protection, specifically, the establishment of ventilatory settings that avoid the extension of lung injury by the use of lungprotective ventilatory strategies (LPVSs). There clearly is a large quantity of data indicating that specific ventilatory strategies induce injury and affect outcome in animal models1-10. In addition, two recent clinical trials have established a link between outcome (death and ventilation-free days) and ventilatory strategy11,12. This chapter will address the concept of ventilator-induced lung injury and lungprotective ventilatory strategies.
