Why is lung-protective ventilation thought to be beneficial?

 Mechanical ventilation is now known to be harmful to the lungs – known as ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI)

• Can potentiate lung and non-pulmonary organ failure
• May lead to an increase in mortality

• Barotrauma – High-pressure injury to alveoli, which can lead to pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysemao
• Volutrauma – Damage to the alveoli due to overdistension o
• Atelectrauma – Shearing forces due to repeated collapse and expansion of alveoli)
• Biotrauma – The translocation of inflammatory mediators, bacteria, or lipopolysaccharide26 from the airspaces into the systemic circulation
• Oxygen Toxicity