Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Bundle vs. Standard Care; a Before-and-After Study

Mortality rates in children with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) are higher in Asia compared to other regions. In adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome, the only therapy that improves mortality rates is a lung protective ventilation strategy. The pediatric ventilation recommendations by the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference (PALICC) are extrapolated from evidence in adults, including ventilation with low tidal volume, low peak/plateau pressures and high end expiratory pressure. A recent retrospective study of ventilation practices in Asia including Singapore showed that a majority of patients with PARDS were being ventilated with high tidal volume, high peak pressure and low end expiratory pressure, not in compliance with PALICC recommendations. We postulate that currently used ventilation strategies could have contributed to the high PARDS mortality rates in Asia. We aim to determine if implementing a ventilation bundle comprising PALICC recommendations lowers PARDS and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) mortality rates.