Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious and potentially life-threatening lung condition that can affect children. Currently, ventilator settings commonly used in treatment are based on approaches developed for adults, and it remains unclear whether these settings are equally effective for children. Because children's bodies respond differently than adults', it is important to determine the most effective ventilator strategies specifically for pediatric patients. This study will compare two different ventilator approaches in children with ARDS to identify which method provides the greatest benefit. The findings will also help inform the design of a larger study in the future.
age > 2 weeks (> 38 weeks corrected gestational age) and < 18 years (not yet had 18th birthday)
acute (≤ 7 days of risk factor) respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation
ventilated with endotracheal tube or tracheostomy for ≤ 7 days from risk factor onset
hypoxemia defined as PaO2/FIO2 (measurement of the amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood plasma/concentration of inhaled oxygen) > 300 (or SpO2/FIO2 (measurement of the percentage of hemoglobin in your blood that is carrying oxygen/concentration of inhaled oxygen) > 315 on Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) ≥ 5 cmH2O (rate of pressure delivery) on two consecutive measurements 4 hours apart and sustained at the time of consent and randomization
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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Lead sponsor
University of Pennsylvania
Collaborator