Using an Inflatable Air Bag to Improve Lung and Chest Flexibility in Adults with ARDS on Mechanical Ventilation in Prone Position

What this Trial Is About

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ARDS is common in intensive care units and can cause serious complications and death. The prone position is often used for ARDS patients and has been shown to reduce mortality. However, its effect on chest wall compliance is not well understood, and the prone position may lower compliance due to compression of the chest and abdomen, which are usually more flexible in other positions. Additionally, prone positioning can cause pressure ulcers, leading to the development of airbags to reduce chest and abdomen pressure and possibly improve chest compliance. This study compares the use of inflatable airbags in the prone position to standard care without airbags for patients with ARDS on mechanical ventilation. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental group using airbags or the control group receiving standard prone positioning care. The study aims to evaluate lung compliance changes over three days between these two approaches. Participants are adults admitted to the medical ICU with ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation and a PF ratio below 150. The study involves monitoring lung compliance changes over three days while patients remain sedated and ventilated. Researchers will assess the variation in lung compliance between groups as the primary outcome. Safety and complications such as pressure ulcers will also be observed during the study period.

Improvement of Lung and Thoracic Compliance in ARDS Patients in Prone Position by Using Inflatable Air Bag