What is the primary purpose of mechanical ventilation in patients with ARDS?

The primary purpose of mechanical ventilation in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is to support gas exchange and reduce the work of breathing. In ARDS, patients often experience severe hypoxemia and difficulty in breathing due to the acute inflammation and damage to the alveolar-capillary membrane. As a result, their lungs become stiff, and the compliance decreases, making it challenging for them to adequately oxygenate their blood and remove carbon dioxide.

Mechanical ventilation helps to deliver oxygen directly into the lungs and assists in the removal of carbon dioxide, ensuring that the body's metabolic needs are met despite the impaired lung function. By providing positive pressure breathing, mechanical ventilation assists the patient’s respiratory effort, reducing the energy expended to breathe and alleviating the work of breathing. This allows the lungs some respite and an opportunity for healing, although the primary goal remains focused on maintaining proper gas exchange and stabilizing the patient’s oxygenation status.

While promoting lung healing and ensuring patient comfort are important considerations in the overall management of ARDS, they are secondary to the immediate need for adequate ventilation and gas exchange. Preventing lung infections is also critical in critically ill patients, but this is not the primary goal of initiating mechanical ventilation for ARDS management. The urgent