Effect of Mechanical Ventilation on Inflammatory Mediators in Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

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Abstract
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a clinical syndrome characterized by severe hypoxemia, stiff lungs, and decreased respiratory system compliance. Early ARDS is characterized by acute and diffuse endothelial and epithelial injury termed diffuse alveolar damage,1 which leads to increased vascular permeability with protein-rich exudative edema. Although originally thought to be relatively homogeneous, a number of recent studies have highlighted the marked heterogeneity of the pathological process with consolidation in the dependent regions of the lung and relatively normal aeration of the nondependent regions.2,3