Detailed Description:
Critically ill patients under mechanical ventilation frequently develop respiratory complications due to immobility and altered pulmonary mechanics. Automatic Lateralization Therapy has emerged as a promising physiologic intervention to optimize ventilation and reduce respiratory dysfunction in this population. However, its effects on respiratory drive activation remain poorly understood.
Objective:
To evaluate the effects of body lateralization on respiratory drive activation, ventilation, and pulmonary aeration in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients.
Methods and Design:
This is a quasi-experimental, non-randomized physiological intervention study conducted in a controlled ICU environment, following the TREND 2025 Statement Checklist for transparent reporting of non-randomized evaluations. Automatic Lateralization Therapy will be applied with and without Flow Bias, using progressive body tilt angles (0°, 15°, and 30°). Positioning strategies will be personalized based on Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) findings to ensure optimal lung recruitment and safety.
Collected data will include:
Clinical and physiological parameters such as respiratory drive (P0.1, estimated Pmus),
Diaphragm and parasternal muscle activity via surface electromyography (sEMG),
Ventilatory mechanics and gas exchange,
Pulmonary aeration and regional ventilation distribution assessed by EIT,
Additional monitoring by lung ultrasound to confirm aeration patterns.
The investigator performing the physiological data analysis will be blinded to the intervention group to minimize bias. Cardiorespiratory safety (e.g., hemodynamic stability, oxygenation) and adverse events will be monitored throughout all procedures.
Expected Outcomes:
The study aims to provide insights into whether body lateralization through Automatic Lateralization Therapy, modulates respiratory drive and improves ventilation efficiency in critically ill patients. It is hypothesized that combining Automatic Lateralization Therapy, with Flow Bias will enhance pulmonary expansion, respiratory drive activation, and gas exchange efficiency compared to Automatic Lateralization Therapy, alone, while maintaining patient safety.