Reducing acute respiratory distress syndrome occurrence using mechanical ventilation

Figure 7 Macro-strain vs micro-strain. Macro-strain was that calculated for the entire lung and Micro-strain calculated for individual alveoli in the same lung under the identical conditions. Low PEEP (5 cmH₂O) with a conventional breath and an extended time at low pressure (10%) with APRV showed the largest difference between Macro- and Micro-strain. High PEEP (16 cmH₂O) and a brief time at low pressure with APRV (75%) minimized the differences between Macro- and Micro-strain. See text for description of APRV settings. ^aP < 0.05 between Macro- and Micro-strain; ^cP < 0.05 between PEEP 5 and APRV 10 (with permission)[17]. APRV: Airway pressure release ventilation.