UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Ventilator Therapy in ED Patients with ARDS

Category: Critical Care

Keywords: PEEP, mechanical ventilation, ARDS (PubMed Search)

Posted: 10/28/2008 by Mike Winters, MBA, MD (Updated: 12/12/2024)
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Ventilator Therapy for ED Patients with ARDS

  • As we manage critically ill patients for longer periods of time, it is likely that many of us will manage patients who develop ARDS
  • Current mortality for patients with ARDS ranges from 30-40%
  • ED treatment for patients with ARDS includes treating the inciting event, supportive critical care, and ventilator management
  • Current ventilator management in patients with ARDS includes:
    • avoiding alveolar overdistention (tidal volumes of 6 ml/kg)
    • maintaining FiO2 < 60% (mitigates oxygen toxicitty)
    • PEEP to prevent alveolar derecruitment (levels of 10-15 cm H2O)
    • permissive hypercapnea