Respiratory failure & ventilation
Volatile anesthetic sedation in acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors' conclusion
However, a recent multicenter randomized controlled trial found that sevoflurane sedation for patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS reduced ventilator free days at day 28 and increased mortality compared to propofol sedation.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
- Comparison
- Volatile anesthetic sedation vs propofol sedation in ARDS
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Preliminary data: reductions in inflammatory mediators and improved oxygenation with volatile anesthetics in ARDS
- Recent multicentre RCT: sevoflurane sedation in moderate-to-severe ARDS reduced ventilator free days at day 28 and increased mortality vs propofol sedation
- Ongoing and recently completed trials include respiratory failure, none solely in ARDS
Further findings
Priorities for future trials
- Reconsider dose, agent selection and duration of volatile sedation; heterogeneity of treatment effect across ARDS sub-phenotypes
Original publication
Volatile anesthetic sedation in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Intensive Care Med. Published 28 September 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →