Impact of the e- sigh recruitment manoeuvre on oxygenation and aeration of the lung in patients with ALI/ARDS.

Recruitment manoeuvre (RM) can be defined as a strategy to increase transient transpulmonary pressure. This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of e-sigh recruitment manoeuvre on patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Thirty patients who fulfilled ARDS criteria were included in this study. They received extended sigh recruitment manoeuvre (e- sigh) consisting of positive end expiratory pressure maintained at 10 cm H₂O above the lower inflection point of the pressure--volume curve for 15 minutes. We assessed the effects of these manoeuvres on: gas exchange and haemodynamic and respiratory mechanics at two time points. The patients had had a chest x-ray and thoracic computed tomography scan of the lungs after a day of the last recruitment manoeuvre, before inclusion was studied. E-sigh recruitment manoeuvre had a good impact on gas exchange and aeration of the lung and collapsed alveoli were reopened, which was objectively evaluated on x-ray and a CT scan of the lung.