Which lung mechanics are primarily assessed in ARDS patients?

In patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), evaluating static and dynamic compliance is crucial because these metrics provide insight into the lung’s ability to expand and fill with air, reflecting the degree of lung injury.

Static compliance measures the lung's ability to stretch and expand when the lungs are at rest, such as during an end-inspiratory pause on a ventilator. A decrease in static compliance typically indicates increased stiffness in the lung tissue, often due to factors like edema, atelectasis, or inflammation present in ARDS.

Dynamic compliance, on the other hand, is assessed during active breathing and provides information on airway resistance and overall compliance during the respiratory cycle. In ARDS patients, dynamic compliance can be reduced due to factors such as bronchoconstriction, secretions, or airway dysregulation.

Monitoring these compliance parameters helps clinicians determine the severity of lung impairment, make informed decisions about mechanical ventilation strategies, and assess the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. This assessment is paramount in managing ARDS effectively, as both static and dynamic compliance indices help guide ventilatory management to optimize oxygenation and minimize further lung injury.