What Tidal Volumes Should Be Used in Patients without Acute Lung Injury?

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
OVER the past decades, tidal volumes (VT) used by clinicians have progressively decreased from greater than 12–15 ml/kg to less than 9 ml/kg actual body weight.1–6 Currently, there are guidelines that strongly support the use of lower VT(i.e. , 6 ml/kg predicted body weight [PBW]) in patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS).7 Widely-agreed-upon guidelines for setting VTin patients who do not meet the ALI/ARDS consensus criteria are lacking, partly because there is a paucity of randomized controlled trial evidence on the best way to ventilate these patients.