Meta-analysis of controlled trials of ventilator therapy in acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome: an alternative perspective

The role of protective ventilation in acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is controversial. Evidence was sought from published randomised trials for a consistent treatment effect of protective ventilation and any covariate modification.

Average 28-day mortality was 0.40 in the treatment group (protective ventilation, n=605) vs. 0.46 in the control group (control ventilation, n=597). The treatment effect (odds ratio) was: fixed-effects, 0.71 (95% CI 0.56–0.91, p=0.006; heterogeneity, p=0.06) and random effects: 0.80 (95% CI 0.49–1.31, p=0.37). Heterogeneity impact (H statistic=1.50) was adjudged as modest. The treatment effect was significant and (a) favoured protective ventilation for a tidal volume less than 7.7 ml/kg predicted (treatment group) and a mean plateau pressure of 30 cmH₂O or higher (control group) but was not influenced by plateau pressure 21–30 cmH₂O (treatment group) and (b) depended upon plateau pressure difference greater than 5–7 cmH₂O between protective ventilation and standard ventilation.

Overall treatment effect estimate favoured protective ventilation but did not achieve statistical significance. Protective ventilation depended upon threshold levels of tidal volume, plateau pressure, and plateau pressure difference.