INTRODUCTION
critically ill, ventilator-associated lung aeration/perfusion, neuromuscular damage
CRITICALLY ILL
Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), despite saving lives in the intensive care
unit (ICU), may result in neuromuscular damage and represents a risk factor for
developing ventilator-associated lung aeration/perfusion and impairment of
respiratory system function.Body positioning is associated with lung ventilation (aeration) and perfusion changes
and has positive effects on the respiratory systems of patients receiving IMV,
mainly when performed outside the bed. For example, the combination of sitting in a
chair and physical activity can improve lung aeration during IMVDespite the benefits of mobilizing patients outside the bed, evidence is still
limited on the effects of vertical positioning on lung aeration, especially when
vertical positioning is performed passively in the orthostatic position. Therefore,
this study aimed to assess the effects of different vertical positions on lung
aeration in critically ill patients receiving IMV. Based on the physiological
ventilatory changes in the upright posture, we hypothesized that the verticalization
of the chest would improve the pulmonary aeration of patients receiving IMV. The
specific objectives were to evaluate variations in the tidal volume, respiratory
rate and minute volume of patients receiving IMV and the safety of mobilizing
patients outside of bed. Considering the demand on professionals to verticalize
patients receiving IMV, we tried to determine the number of team members necessary
to position patients receiving IMV in different positions outside of bed.