Negative-pressure-assisted ventilation lowers driving pressure and mechanical power in an ARDS model

Combining temporary transvenous diaphragm neurostimulation with volume-control ventilation on every breath, called negative-pressure-assisted ventilation, improved gas exchange and alveolar homogeneity in a preclinical model of moderate ARDS. Transpulmonary driving pressure, mechanical power, and mechanical work reductions were observed and resulted in lower lung injury scores and tissue cytokine concentrations in the every-breath-neurostimulation group compared with volume-control ventilation only. Negative-pressure-assisted ventilation is an exciting new potential tool to reduce ventilator-induced lung injury in patients with ARDS.