Functional Respiratory Imaging of Airways in ARDS

Functional Imaging With Computational Fluid Dynamics to Evaluate the Airways in Patients With Acute Lung Injury

This is a prospective single-center cohort trial to compare regional bronchial recruitment, bronchial distention and alveolar recruitment in 6 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The investigators used CT scan images as the imaging modality, and the subjects were scanned on end-expiratory lung volume with different positive end-expiratory pressures. Those images were post-processed to evaluate the airways.

Inclusion Criteria:

• mechanically ventilated
• moderate or severe ARDS, as defined by the Berlin criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnancy
• hemodynamic instability
• obesity (BMI >30)