Prone position in ARDS: a simple maneuver still underused

The prone position in ARDS patients. A clinical study.

The gas exchange and hemodynamics were evaluated before, during, and after a two-hour period of prone position in 13 moderate-severe ARDS patients. Lung computerized tomography was obtained in both the supine and prone positions in two of these patients. Average arterial oxygenation improved after prone positioning (p less than 0.01). A PaO2 improvement of at least 10 mm Hg after 30 minutes of ...

A Comprehensive Review of Prone Position in ARDS.

Prone position (PP) has been used since the 1970s to treat severe hypoxemia in patients with ARDS because of its effectiveness at improving gas exchange. Compared with the supine position (SP), placing patients in PP effects a more even tidal volume distribution, in part, by reversing the vertical pleural pressure gradient, which becomes more negative in the dorsal regions. PP also improves res...

Lung volumes and lung volume recruitment in ARDS: a comparison between supine and prone position

BACKGROUND The use of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and prone position (PP) is common in the management of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome patients (ARDS). We conducted this study to analyze the variation in lung volumes and PEEP-induced lung volume recruitment with the change from supine position (SP) to PP in ARDS patients. METHODS The investigation was conducted in a m...

Assessment of fluid responsiveness during prone position in ards. a validation study

Introduction Predicting fluid responsiveness is of paramount importance to avoid unnecessary fluid administration in ARDS patients, since a positive fluid balance is associated with ARDS mortality [1]. Several tests with high reliability to predict fluid responsiveness are now available, but none have been validated in the prone position (PP) in ARDS patients, while this treatment is now a corn...

Is noninvasive ventilation still underused by physicians?