Figure 3
From: Clinical review: Respiratory monitoring in the ICU - a consensus of 16
Pressure (horizontal axis)-volume (vertical axis) loop obtained in a sedatedand paralyzed patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by themeans of a supersyringe with successive small steps of inflation anddeflation. The static pressure volume points are fitted with an S-shapedline with obvious lower and upper inflections (at 10 and 25 cm H2O,respectively). The whole loop shows a marked hysteresis, and there is an upperdeflation inflection at about 20 cm H2O. Paw, airwaypressure.