Pulmonary and Ventilatory Effects of Bed Verticalization in Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

"The use of a dedicated bed (Total Lift Bed™, VitalGo Systems, Inc., Arjo AB) allows the verticalization of patients under sedation and mechanical ventilation up to 90°. The procedure foresees the gradual verticalization of the patients of 0°, 30°, 60° and 90° by steps of 30 minutes.~At the end of each position step (0°, 30°, 60° and 90°), measurement of end-expiratory lung impedance (EELI) and chest electrical impedance tomography (EIT) parameters, measurement of esophageal pressures, collection of ventilatory parameters on the ventilator, collection of Swan-Ganz catheter hemodynamic data, measurement of lung shunt by mixed venous and arterial blood gas analyses and measurement of end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) by the N2 washin-washout method"