Mechanical ventilation of very low birth weight infants: Is volume or pressure a better target variable?

To compare the efficacy and safety of volume-controlled (VC) ventilation to time-cycled pressure-limited (TCPL) ventilation in very low birth weight infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Newborns weighing between 600 and 1500 g and with a gestational age of 24 to 31 weeks who had RDS were randomized to receive either VC or TCPL ventilation and treated with a standardized protocol. The 2 modalities were compared by determining the time required to achieve a predetermined success criterion, on the basis of either the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient