Airway closure is a physiological phenomenon in which the distal airways are obstructed when the airway pressure drops below the airway opening pressure. We assessed this phenomenon in 27 patients with coronavirus disease 2019-related acute respiratory distress syndrome. Twelve (44%) patients had an airway opening pressure above 5 cmH2O. The median airway opening pressure was 8 cmH2O (interquartile range, 7-10), with a maximum value of 17 cmH2O. Three patients had a baseline positive end-expiratory pressure lower than the airway opening pressure.
Keywords: Acute respiratory distress syndrome; Airway closure; Airway opening pressure; Positive end-expiratory pressure.
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