The Contribution of Surface Tension-Dependent Alveolar Septal Stress Concentrations to Ventilation-Induced Lung Injury in the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Perlman, Carrie E.

In the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), surface tension, T, is likely elevated. And mechanical ventilation of ARDS patients causes ventilation-induced lung injury (VILI), which is believed to be proportional to T. However, the mechanisms through which elevated T may contribute to VILI have been under-studied. This conceptual analysis considers experimental and theoretical evidence for static and dynamic mechanical mechanisms, at the alveolar scale, through which elevated T exacerbates VILI; potential causes of elevated T in ARDS; and T-dependent means of reducing VILI. In the last section, possible means of reducing T and improving the efficacy of recruitment maneuvers during mechanical ventilation of ARDS patients are discussed.