The ARDSnet Study Group

The ARDSnet Study Group conducted a landmark clinical trial to improve survival in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). They compared traditional high oxygen levels and large ventilator breaths to a strategy of lower oxygen and smaller breaths, called "lung-protective ventilation." The study found that using smaller breaths reduced lung injury and increased survival rates. This research changed how doctors treat severe lung injury, emphasizing gentle ventilation to minimize further damage, and has become a standard approach in intensive care units worldwide.