Effect of Lung Recruitment and Titrated Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) vs Low PEEP on Mortality in Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Alexandre Biasi Cavalcanti, Érica Aranha Suzumura, Ligia Nasi Laranjeira, Denise de Moraes Paisani, Lucas Petri Damiani, Helio Penna Guimarães, Edson Renato Romano, Marisa de Moraes Regenga, Luzia Noriko Takahashi Taniguchi, Cassiano Teixeira, Roselaine Pinheiro de Oliveira, Flavia Ribeiro Machado, Fredi Alexander Diaz-Quijano, Meton Soares de Alencar Filho, Israel Silva Maia, Eliana Bernardete Caser, Wilson de Oliveira Filho, Marcos de Carvalho Borges, Priscilla de Aquino Martins, Mirna Matsui, Gustavo Adolfo Ospina-Tascón, Thiago Simões Giancursi, Nelson Dario Giraldo-Ramirez, Silvia Regina Rios Vieira, Maria da Graça Pasquotto de Lima Assef, Mohd Shahnaz Hasan, Wojciech Szczeklik, Fernando Rios, Marcelo Britto Passos Amato, Otávio Berwanger, Carlos Roberto Ribeiro de Carvalho
Journal: JAMA (2017)

The effects of recruitment maneuvers and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titration on clinical outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain uncertain.To determine if lung recruitment associated with PEEP titration according to the best respiratory-system compliance decreases 28-day mortality of patients with moderate to severe ARDS compared with a conventional low-PEEP strategy.Multicenter, randomized trial conducted at 120 intensive care units (ICUs) from 9 countries from November 17, 2011, through April 25, 2017, enrolling adults with moderate to severe ARDS.An experimental strategy with a lung recruitment maneuver and PEEP titration according to the best respiratory-system compliance (n = 501; experimental group) or a control strategy of low PEEP (n = 509). All patients received volume-assist control mode until weaning.The primary outcome was all-cause mortality until 28 days. Secondary outcomes were length of ICU and hospital stay; ventilator-free days through day 28; pneumothorax requiring drainage within 7 days; barotrauma within 7 days; and ICU, in-hospital, and 6-month mortality.A total of 1010 patients (37.5% female; mean [SD] age, 50.9 [17.4] years) were enrolled and followed up. At 28 days, 277 of 501 patients (55.3%) in the experimental group and 251 of 509 patients (49.3%) in the control group had died (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.42; P = .041). Compared with the control group, the experimental group strategy increased 6-month mortality (65.3% vs 59.9%; HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.38; P = .04), decreased the number of mean ventilator-free days (5.3 vs 6.4; difference, -1.1; 95% CI, -2.1 to -0.1; P = .03), increased the risk of pneumothorax requiring drainage (3.2% vs 1.2%; difference, 2.0%; 95% CI, 0.0% to 4.0%; P = .03), and the risk of barotrauma (5.6% vs 1.6%; difference, 4.0%; 95% CI, 1.5% to 6.5%; P = .001). There were no significant differences in the length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, ICU mortality, and in-hospital mortality.In patients with moderate to severe ARDS, a strategy with lung recruitment and titrated PEEP compared with low PEEP increased 28-day all-cause mortality. These findings do not support the routine use of lung recruitment maneuver and PEEP titration in these patients.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01374022.