Opening Up to Lung Recruitment Pulmonary Contusion and Derecruitment - The Role of Inflammation

Purpose of review: It was recently reported that a lung protective ventilation strategy resulted in no fatalities in 17 patients with ARDS secondary to lung contusion. Although the efficacy of a lung protective ventilation strategy to reduce mortality in ARDS patients has been demonstrated, the underlying mechanisms for this reduction remain unclear. Recent findings: ARDS is characterized by an inflammatory state of the lung that can be aggravated by mechanical ventilation. Especially mechanical ventilation allowing cyclic opening and closing of unstable alveoli, enhances cytokine release and can even result in loss of compartmentalization. Disbalance in the cytokine response can promote bacterial colonization Case Report