Diagnostic tool that uses a new mode of mechanical ventilation (variable ventilation) to optimize the management of patients with ARDS
Currently there are no drugs available for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), an often fatal condition, and the only treatment consists of supportive therapies, mainly mechanical ventilation. A patient can make a full recovery if they are properly ventilated, but mechanical ventilation can further damage the already injured lung tissue, leading to ventilator induced lung injury (VILI), which often leads to death. There is a need for improved ventilation that considers the individual patient’s current lung condition, state of damage or recovery, and the underlying cause of the ARDS.
At UVM, researchers have developed a diagnostic tool that uses a new mode of mechanical ventilation, called variable ventilation, to optimize the management of patients with ARDS. The technology monitors a patient’s lung parameters over time, which provides personalized, real-time information on the patient’s lung mechanical properties to optimize ventilation strategies. By reducing lung injury and optimizing oxygenation levels, the complications of ARDS can be reduced and morality rates improved.