PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Alexis Paternot AU - Xavier Repessé AU - Antoine Vieillard-Baron TI - Rationale and Description of Right Ventricle-Protective Ventilation in ARDS AID - 10.4187/respcare.04943 DP - 2016 Aug 02 TA - Respiratory Care PG - respcare.04943 4099 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/early/2016/08/02/respcare.04943.short 4100 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/early/2016/08/02/respcare.04943.full AB - Pulmonary vascular dysfunction is associated with ARDS and leads to increased right-ventricular afterload and eventually right-ventricular failure, also called acute cor pulmonale. Interest in acute cor pulmonale and its negative impact on outcome in patients with ARDS has grown in recent years. Right-ventricular function in these patients should be closely monitored, and this is helped by the widespread use of echocardiography in intensive care units. Because mechanical ventilation may worsen right-ventricular failure, the interaction between the lungs and the right ventricle appears to be a key factor in the ventilation strategy. In this review, a rationale for a right ventricle-protective ventilation approach is provided, and such a strategy is described, including the reduction of lung stress (ie, the limitation of plateau pressure and driving pressure), the reduction of PaCO2, and the improvement of oxygenation. Prone positioning seems to be a crucial part of this strategy by protecting both the lungs and the right ventricle, resulting in increased survival of patients with ARDS. Further studies are required to validate the positive impact on prognosis of right ventricle-protective mechanical ventilation.