Driving pressure (ΔP) has been directly associated with mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and should be monitored and limited to <15 cm of water. Its calculation in a passively ventilated patient is straightforward but requires invasive and expensive techniques like esophageal pressure monitoring in patients with spontaneous respiratory effort. Recently described novel bedside techniques can be used to estimate ΔP in patients on assisted mechanical ventilation.
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