Acute lung injury (ALI) frequently occurs in infants after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery and it sometimes develops into acute respiratory distress syndrome in critically ill infants, which can be life threatening. This study investigated the effects of open lung ventilation on the haemodynamics and respiratory mechanics of 64 infants (34 males; 30 females) with a mean +/- SD age of 8.3 +/- 0.3 months who developed ALI following CPB surgery. Open lung ventilation significantly improved the respiratory mechanics and oxygenation parameters of the infants, including the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO(2)), the ratio of PaO(2)/FiO(2) (fraction of inspired oxygen), peak inspiratory pressure, static compliance and airway resistance. It is concluded that open lung ventilation can greatly improve oxygenation and respiratory mechanics in infants with ALI following CPB surgery.