The Evidence for Open Lung Approach to ARDS

Abstract

  The open lung approach is a mechanical ventilation strategy designed to “Open up the lung and keep the lung open” in patients with ARDS. With this approach, higher PEEP, alveolar recruitment maneuver, prone positioning, airway pressure release ventilation, and high frequency oscillatory ventilation are considered and adopted for patients with ARDS. According to the Berlin definition, a newly-proposed ARDS definition, these optional methods of open lung approach are evaluated in this article considering the ARDS severity determined by the definition.