Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) Protocol Early Used in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Although mechanical ventilation is life-sustaining for patients with ARDS, it can perpetuate lung injury. A number of recent advances have greatly improved in the mechanical ventilation strategies and treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), however, Mortality remains high, even with the use of low tidal volume and adequate positive end expiratory pressure(PEEP). Numerous experimental showed that the BILEVEL-APRV mode used in animal ARDS model can improve gas exchanges and hemodynamic tolerance of the ventilation while reducing the dosage for sedative drugs. The aim of this single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled, open study is to compare the effects and safety of the early application of BILEVEL-APRV protocol and conventional ventilation strategy that used low tidal volume and adequate PEEP level in ARDS patients .