Lung Protective Ventilator Settings Still Underutilized

• It's been over 10 years since the publication of the ARDSnet trial, which demonstrated an 8.8% absolute reduction in short-term mortality for patients with ARDS ventilated with "lung protective" settings (tidal volume 6 ml/kg, plateau pressure < 30 cm H20).
• A recent study in the BMJ evaluated the association of these settings with 2-yr survival in patients with acute lung injury.
• The study, carried out in 13 ICUs from 4 academic hospitals in Baltimore, found some surprising results:
  • In patients whose ventilator settings were 100% compliant with lung protective settings, there was an 8% absolute reduction in mortality.
  • For each increase of 1 ml/kg above recommended tidal volume there was an 18% relative increase in mortality.
  • 37% of patients never received lung protective ventilation.
• Take home point: lung protective settings appear to confer not only short-term but also long-term mortality benefit for patients with acute lung injury, yet remain underutilized even in major academic centers.

References

Needham DM, et al. Lung protective mechanical ventilation and two-year survival in patients with acute lung injury: A prospective cohort study. BMJ 2012;344:e2124.