Respiratory failure & ventilation
Sex-dependent differences in regional lung mechanics; A retrospective observational study
Authors' conclusion
The difference between dynamic compliance/positive end-expiratory pressure during electrical impedance tomography between men and women could be explained by the difference in height.
Study context
- Population
- Critically ill mechanically ventilated patients who underwent an electrical impedance tomography measurement with incremental and decremental PEEP trials
- Participants
- 259 participants
- Exposure
- Women vs men
- Womenn = 69
- Menn = 190reference
- Outcome
- Mean dynamic compliance/PEEP steps (linear regression)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Dynamic compliance
Women vs MenDifference, mL/cmH2O (CI)P value
Adjusted for height; not significant
1.0(−4.6 to 2.6)
P = 0.593Adjusted for predicted body weight; not significant
0.5(−3.6 to 4.7)
P = 0.800- Lower in women; unadjusted
- difference 4.8 mL/cmH2O (CI −7.5 to −2.1); P = 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Tidal volume per predicted body weight · higher in women
P < 0.001
Original publication
Sex-dependent differences in regional lung mechanics; A retrospective observational study. J Crit Care. Published 28 November 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →