Ventilator-induced lung injury: from the bench to the bedside

Abstract

Once upon a time the existence of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) was debated. After all, most patients with lung dysfunction requiring mechanical ventilation had other potential causes of lung injury, and many patients appeared to tolerate mechanical ventilation for prolonged periods without any adverse sequelae. However, as a result of numerous studies over the past century, and especially during the past 20 years it is now generally accepted that mechanical ventilation per se can initiate as well as exacerbate lung injury and contribute to patient morbidity and mortality. This review examines the seminal bench and bedside studies that contributed to our current understanding of VILI, and that form the basis for current recommendations for mechanical ventilation of the critically ill.