ARDS is not just a problem of oxygenation.
It is a problem of lung vulnerability.
The injured lung is smaller than it appears on chest radiograph. Much of the lung may be collapsed, flooded, consolidated, or poorly aerated.
This is the baby lung concept.
When tidal volume is delivered into a reduced amount of aerated lung, the remaining open lung units may be overstretched.
Full post, key takeaways, references, and the rest of the Core Medical Education collection are available for WhiteBoard Medicine members.
ARDS diagnosis, lung-protective ventilation, driving pressure, VILI, and severe hypoxemia.
Blog PreviewDriving pressure in ARDS, plateau pressure minus PEEP, lung strain, respiratory system compliance, and ventilator-induced lung injury.
Mini CourseA complete member course on RASS, CPOT, CAM-ICU, sedatives, analgesics, and ventilated patient comfort.
Mini CoursesStructured video chapters, study guides, practice questions, final assessments, and clinical summaries.
Study Guide TopicPneumonia, dengue, listeria, hantavirus, streptococcal disease, and ICU-relevant infections.
