Quantifying unintended exposure to high tidal volumes from breath stacking dyssynchrony in ARDS: the BREATHE criteria

Purpose Breath stacking dyssynchrony generates higher tidal volumes than intended, potentially increasing lung injury risk in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Lack of validated criteria to quantify breath stacking dyssynchrony contributes to its under-recognition. This study evaluates performance of novel, objective criteria for quantifying breath stacking dyssynchrony (BREATHE criteria) compared to existing definitions and tests if neuromuscular blockade eliminates high-volume breath stacking dyssynchrony in ARDS. Methods Airway flow and pressure were recorded continuously for up to 72 h in 33 patients with ARDS receiving volume-preset assist-control ventilation. The flow–time waveform was integrated to calculate tidal volume breath-by-breath. The BREATHE criteria considered five domains in evaluating for breath stacking dyssynchrony: ventilator cycling, interval expiratory volume, cumulative inspiratory volume, expiratory time, and inspiratory time. Results The observed tidal volume of BREATHE stacked breaths was 11.3 (9.7–13.3) mL/kg predicted body weight, significantly higher than the preset volume [6.3 (6.0–6.8) mL/kg; p