Table 1 Main features and outcomes of the 122 study patients
Age, years, mean ± SD | 58.4 ± 13.8 |
Males, n (%) | 69 (56.5) |
Body mass index, mean ± SD | 26.5 ± 6.1 |
Body mass index > 30, n (%) | 28 (23%) |
SAPSII, mean ± SD | 40.2 ± 12.7 |
Reasons for admission, n (%) | Thromboendarterectomy, 52 (43) |
Lung transplantation, 20 (16) | |
Heart surgery, 18 (15) | |
Pulmonary resection, 8 (6) | |
Heart transplantation, 7 (6) | |
Cardiogenic shock, 7 (6) | |
Vascular surgery, 4 (3) | |
Miscellaneous, 6 (5) | |
Causes of ARDS, n (%) | Ventilator-associated pneumonia; 50 (41) |
Reperfusion edema/primary graft dysfunction, 49 (40) | |
TRALI, 7 (6) | |
Septic shock, 6 (5) | |
Post-cardiopulmonary bypass, 4 (3) | |
Lung graft rejection, 3 (2.5) | |
Miscellaneous; 3 (2.5) | |
Severity of ARDS, n (%)a | |
Moderate | 66 (54) |
Severe | 56 (46) |
Days from admission to PEEP trial, median [IQR] | 2 [1–4] |
Ventilation parameters before PEEP trial, mean ± SD | |
Vt for predicted body weight, mL/kg | 5.8 ± 0.7 |
PEEP level, cmH2O | 7.9 ± 1.9 |
Respiratory rate/min, mean ± SD | 27 ± 5 |
PaO2/FiO2, mmHg, mean ± SD | 106 ± 34 |
Outcomes | |
Days on mechanical ventilation, median [IQR] | 19 [9–31] |
Need for ECMO, n (%) | 8 (6.5) |
ICU stay length, days, median [IQR] | 20.5 [12.0–36.0] |
Patients who died, n (%) | 20 (16.4) |