Fig. 1

Respiratory physiological measures during mechanical ventilation. Boxes represent median and interquartile range. The number of patients with available respiratory physiological data decreases over successive study days due to deaths and discontinuation of invasive mechanical ventilation. Transpulmonary pressure (PL) equals respiratory system pressure minus esophageal pressure. Respiratory system driving pressure equals plateau pressure minus positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP). Transpulmonary driving pressure equals end-inspiratory PL minus end-expiratory PL