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Purpose: Combat-sport athletes commonly undergo rapid weight loss prior to prebout weigh-in and subsequently rapid weight gain (RWG) prior to competition. This investigation aimed to evaluate the effect of RWG and weight differential (WD) between opponents on competitive success. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed using data from professional mixed martial arts (MMA) and boxing events held between 2015 and 2019. The primary outcome was RWG (relative and absolute) between weigh-in and competition stratified by bout winners and losers. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the relationships among bout outcome, RWG, and WD between competitors on the day of their bout. Results: Among 708 MMA athletes included, winners regained more relative body mass (8.7% [3.7%] vs 7.9% [3.8%], P P Conclusion: This analysis of combat-sport athletes indicates that RWG and WD influence competitive success. These findings raise fair-play and safety concerns in these popular sports and may help guide risk-mitigating regulation strategies.

OBJECTIVES Weight classifications are used in boxing and other combat sports to match opponents of similar size. Professional boxers commonly engage in a potentially harmful practice known as rapid weight loss or 'weight cutting' to make weight the day prior to competition before rehydrating and refueling. This investigation describes the prevalence and magnitude of rapid weight gain in boxers following weigh-in as well as differences in practice with respect to weight class and promotion. METHODS This analysis describes official weight data from male professional boxers collected by the California State Athletic Commission between 2015 and 2018. A total of 399 athletes were included in the study. RESULTS Among included athletes, 389 (97.5%) athletes gained weight between official weigh-in and competition. Total absolute body mass gained was 4.4 ± 2.2 kg corresponding to a total relative body mass gain of 7.2 ± 3.5%. Boxers competing in international promotions gained significantly more body mass than regional competitors (8.0 ± 3.0% vs. 6.6 ± 3.7%; p

Rapid weight loss or “weight cutting” is a common but potentially harmful practice used in mixed martial arts competition. Following the official weigh-in, competitors refeed and rehydrate themselves in a process known as rapid weight gain (RWG) to realize a potential competitive advantage. While data from surveys and small series have indicated the majority of mixed martial arts athletes engage in rapid weight loss, there is a lack of officially collected data from sanctioning organizations describing its prevalence. The present investigation represents a summary of the data collected between December 2015 and January 2018 by the California State Athletic Commission. In total, 512 professional mixed martial artists (455 males and 57 females) were included. Of these, 503 (98%) athletes gained body mass between weigh-in and their bouts. Total RWG between weigh-in and competition was 5.5 ± 2.5 kg, corresponding to an 8.1% ± 3.6% body mass increase. Total RWG was 5.6 ± 2.5 kg (8.1% ± 3.6%) for males and 4.5 ± 2.3 kg (8.0% ± 3.8%) for females. More than one quarter of men and one third of women gained >10% body mass between weigh-in and competition. Athletes from leading international promotions gained more absolute, but not relative, body mass than those from regional promotions. Our findings indicate RWG is nearly ubiquitous in professional , with a similar prevalence in male and female athletes. Trends based on promotion suggest a larger magnitude of RWG in presumably more experienced and/or successful mixed martial artists from leading international promotions.

To evaluate whether different gamma-aminobutyric acidergic (GABAergic) sedatives such as propofol and benzodiazepines carry differential risks of post-extubation delirium in the ICU.Retrospective cohort study.Seven ICUs in an academic hospital network, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, MA).Ten thousand five hundred and one adult patients mechanically ventilated for over 24 hours.None.We tested the hypothesis that benzodiazepine versus propofol-based sedation is associated with fewer delirium-free days within 14 days after extubation. Further, we hypothesized that the measured sedation level evoked by GABAergic drugs is a better predictor of delirium than the drug dose administered. The proportion of GABAergic drug-induced deep sedation was defined as the ratio of days with a mean Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale of less than or equal to -3 during mechanical ventilation. Multivariable regression and effect modification analyses were used. Delirium-free days were lower in patients who received a high proportion of deep sedation using benzodiazepine compared with propofol-based sedation (adjusted absolute difference, -1.17 d; 95% CI, -0.64 to -1.69; p0.001). This differential effect was magnified in elderly patients (age65) and in patients with liver or kidney failure (p-for-interaction0.001) but not observed in patients who received a low proportion of deep sedation (p = 0.95). GABAergic-induced deep sedation days during mechanical ventilation was a better predictor of post-extubation delirium than the GABAergic daily average effective dose (area under the curve 0.76 vs 0.69; p0.001).Deep sedation during mechanical ventilation with benzodiazepines compared with propofol is associated with increased risk of post-extubation delirium. Our data do not support the view that benzodiazepine-based compared with propofol-based sedation in the ICU is an independent risk factor of delirium, as long as deep sedation can be avoided in these patients.

Aim Cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit (ICU-CA) is a common and highly morbid event. We investigated the preventability of ICU-CAs and identified targets for future intervention. Methods This was a prospective, observational study of ICU-CAs at a tertiary care center in the United States. For each arrest, the clinical team was surveyed regarding arrest preventability. An expert, multi-disciplinary team of physicians and nurses also reviewed each arrest. Arrests were scored 0 (not at all preventable) to 5 (completely preventable). Arrests were considered ‘unlikely but potentially preventable’ or ‘potentially preventable’ if at least 50% of reviewers assigned a score of ≥1 or ≥3 respectively. Themes of preventability were assessed for each arrest. Results 43 patients experienced an ICU-CA and were included. A total of 14 (32.6%) and 13 (30.2%) arrests were identified as unlikely but potentially preventable by the expert panel and survey respondents respectively, and an additional 11 (25.6%) and 10 (23.3%) arrests were identified as potentially preventable. Timing of response to clinical deterioration, missed/incorrect diagnosis, timing of acidemia correction, timing of escalation to a more senior clinician, and timing of intubation were the most commonly cited contributors to potential preventability. Additional themes identified included the administration of anxiolytics/narcotics for agitation later identified to be due to clinical deterioration and misalignment between team and patient/family perceptions of prognosis and goals-of-care. Conclusions ICU-CAs may have preventable elements. Themes of preventability were identified and addressing these themes through data-driven quality improvement initiatives could potentially reduce CA incidence in critically-ill patients.

Purpose: Catecholamines are first-line vasopressors for hemodynamic support in distributive shock but are associated with adverse effects, which may be mitigated with noncatecholamine vasopressors. Angiotensin II (ATII) is a noncatecholamine vasopressor recently approved for the management of distributive shock, but limited data support its clinical utility. The purpose of this study was to describe our institution’s usage of ATII including patient outcomes (eg, response to therapy, safety profile). Materials and Methods: Patients who received ATII at our institution were included. Patient demographics, degree of concordance with institutional ATII use guidelines, safety profile of ATII, and response to therapy (1 and 3 hours after ATII initiation) were collected. Results: A total of 16 patients received ATII for distributive shock. The median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score at the time of ATII initiation was 16.5 (interquartile range: 15.8-20.0). Fourteen (87.5%) patients met institutional guidelines for ATII use; 10 (62.5%) and 8 (50.0%) patients met our definition for response at 1 and 3 hours, respectively. No patients developed thrombotic or infectious complications after receiving ATII. Conclusions: In this cohort, ATII appears to be well tolerated in patients with a high predicted mortality. Future studies evaluating the clinical efficacy of ATII are needed to determine its role in the management of distributive shock.

The morbidity, mortality, and blistering pace of transmission of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to an unprecedented worldwide health crisis. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease produced by SARS-CoV-2 infection, is remarkable for persistent, severe respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation that places considerable strain on critical care resources. Because recovery from COVID-19-associated respiratory failure can be prolonged, tracheostomy may facilitate patient management and optimize the use of mechanical ventilators. Several important considerations apply to plan tracheostomies for COVID-19-infected patients. After performing a literature review of tracheostomies during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreaks, we synthesized important learning points from these experiences and suggested an approach for perioperative teams involved in these procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multidisciplinary teams should be involved in decisions regarding timing and appropriateness of the procedure. As the theoretical risk of disease transmission is increased during aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs), stringent infectious precautions are warranted. Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be available and worn by all personnel present during tracheostomy. The number of people in the room should be limited to those absolutely necessary. Using the most experienced available operators will minimize the total time that staff is exposed to an infectious aerosolized environment. An approach that secures the airway in the safest and quickest manner will minimize the time any part of the airway is open to the environment. Deep neuromuscular blockade (train-of-four ratio = 0) will facilitate surgical exposure and prevent aerosolization due to patient movement or coughing. For percutaneous tracheostomies, the bronchoscopist should be able to reintubate if needed. Closed-loop communication must occur at all times among members of the team. If possible, after tracheostomy is performed, waiting until the patient is virus-free before changing the cannula or downsizing may reduce the chances of health care worker infection. Tracheostomies in COVID-19 patients present themselves as extremely high risk for all members of the procedural team. To mitigate risk, systematic meticulous planning of each procedural step is warranted along with strict adherence to local/institutional protocols.

Rapid weight loss or “weight cutting” is a dangerous practice that is ubiquitous in modern combat sports yet underrepresented in the medical literature. We present a case of exertional rhabdomyolysis in a mixed martial artist with sickle cell trait to illustrate the hazards of weight cutting and ensuing critical illness. Sickle cell trait is known to predispose patients to exertional rhabdomyolysis, and multiple fatal cases have been reported in the setting of strenuous exercise. Dehydration and consequent electrolyte abnormalities make combat sport athletes with sickle cell trait particularly vulnerable to this entity. This case suggests a potential role for sickle cell trait screening in this population and underscores the need for safer weight-control practices and monitoring among all combat sport athletes.

To describe, with an emphasis on clinical applications, what is known about the pathophysiology, management, and implications of septic cardiomyopathy in the adult ICU.A PubMed literature review was performed for relevant articles. Only articles in English that studied human adults with sepsis were included.Multiple competing definitions for septic cardiomyopathy hinder understanding of this entity. Although many patients with sepsis develop cardiac dysfunction, the impact of septic cardiomyopathy on prognosis and therapy remains to be demonstrated. Treatment of septic cardiomyopathy is aimed at treating the underlying sepsis and providing specific supportive care for cardiogenic shock when present.Septic cardiomyopathy is an important contributor to organ dysfunction in sepsis. Guided treatment of septic cardiomyopathy may affect patients' prognosis, especially when their cardiac index is substantially decreased. The implication of septic cardiomyopathy for both short- and long-term outcomes is an important area for future investigation.

BACKGROUND In this prespecified cohort study, we investigated the influence of postoperative admission to the intensive care unit versus surgical ward on health care utilization among patients undergoing intermediate-risk surgery. METHODS Of adult surgical patients who underwent general anesthesia without an absolute indication for postoperative intensive care unit admission, 3530 patients admitted postoperatively to an intensive care unit were matched to 3530 patients admitted postoperatively to a surgical ward using a propensity score based on 23 important preoperative and intraoperative predictor variables. Postoperative hospital length of stay and hospital costs were defined as primary and secondary end points, respectively. RESULTS Among patients with low propensity for postoperative intensive care unit admission, initial triage to an intensive care unit was associated with increased postoperative length of stay (incidence rate ratio, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.59-1.79]; P < .001) and hospital costs (incidence rate ratio, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.81-2.03]; P < .001). By contrast, postoperative intensive care unit admission of patients with high propensity was associated with decreased postoperative length of stay (incidence rate ratio, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.85-0.95]; P < .001) and costs (incidence rate ratio, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.88-0.97]; P = .001). Decisions regarding postoperative intensive care unit resource utilization were influenced by individual preferences of anesthesiologists and surgeons. CONCLUSIONS In patients with an unclear indication for postoperative critical care, intensive care unit admission may negatively impact postoperative hospital length of stay and costs. Postoperative discharge disposition varies substantially based on anesthesia and surgical provider preferences but should optimally be driven by an objective assessment of a patient's status at the end of surgery.

Introduction: Cardiac arrest occurring in the ICU is a relatively common and highly morbid event. Due to continuous monitoring, low nurse-to-patient ratios and close proximity of the physician team, ICU arrests are often considered an inevitable result of the underlying disease process. We sought to explore the preventability of ICU arrests and identify targets for future intervention. Methods: This was a single center, prospective study. For each ICU arrest occurring between 8/2017-3/2018, the clinical team (attending physician, trainee[s] and bedside nurse) were surveyed regarding arrest preventability. An expert team of critical care physicians and nurses also reviewed each arrest, providing a score from 0 (not at all preventable) to 5 (completely preventable). Median preventability scores were calculated and themes of preventability identified. Results: We reviewed 39 ICU arrests. Each was reviewed by a median of 7 (6, 8) expert reviewers and 88/159 (55%) surveys were returned. The median preventability rating was 1 (IQR: 0, 2) in the prospective surveys and 1 (0, 2.5) in the expert review. In the expert review, there were 10 (26%) arrests with a median score of >2. Common themes included inadequate response to worsening shock, delays in intubation, failure to obtain help from the senior physician and use of narcotics/anxiolytics for agitation without recognizing or addressing clinical worsening (see Figure). When asked, ‘did you observe/were you informed of any clinical changes preceding the cardiac arrest?’—nurses and trainees responded affirmatively in 74% and 79% of cases, compared to 46% of cases for attending physicians (p=0.03). Conclusions: Cardiac arrests in the ICU may be preventable. Nurses and trainees indicated awareness of acute deterioration more often than attending physicians, highlighting an opportunity for improvement. Several clinical themes of preventability were identified which may help inform future data-driven interventions.

Background High adrenergic tone appears to be associated with mortality in septic shock, while adrenergic antagonism may improve survival. In preparation for a randomized trial, we conducted a prospective, single-arm pilot study of esmolol infusion for patients with septic shock and tachycardia that persists after adequate volume expansion. Methods From April 2016 to March 2017, we enrolled patients admitted to an intensive care unit with sepsis who were receiving vasopressor infusion and were tachycardic despite adequate volume expansion. All patients received a continuous intravenous infusion of esmolol, targeted to heart rate 80–90/min, while receiving vasopressors. The feasibility outcomes were proportion of eligible patients consented, compliance with pre-infusion safety check, and compliance with the titration protocol. The primary clinical outcome was organ-failure-free days (OFFD) at 28 days. Results We enrolled 7 of 10 eligible patients. Mean age was 46 (± 19) years, and mean admission APACHE II was 28 (± 8). Median norepinephrine infusion rate at the initiation of esmolol infusion was 0.20 (0.14–0.23) μg/kg/min. Compliance with the safety check was 100%; compliance with components of the titration protocol was 98–100%. OFFD were 26 (24.5–26); all patients survived to day 90. Median peak esmolol infusion was 50 (25–50) μg/kg/min. Median peak norepinephrine infusion rate during esmolol infusion was 0.46 (0.13–0.50) μg/kg/min. Four patients achieved target heart rate. Protocol-defined stop events, suggesting possible intolerance to a given infusion rate, occurred in three patients, all of whom were receiving at least 50 μg/kg/min of esmolol. Conclusions In a pilot, single-arm study, we report the first published experience with esmolol infusion in tachycardic patients with septic shock in the United States. These findings support a phase 2 trial of esmolol infusion for septic shock. Lower infusion rates of esmolol infusion may be better tolerated and more feasible than higher infusion rates for such a trial. Trial registration This study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02841241) on 19 July 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40814-018-0321-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) are often treated with intravenous (IV) vasopressors. Persistent hypotension and dependence on IV vasopressors in otherwise resuscitated patients lead to delay in discharge from ICU. Midodrine is an oral alpha-1 adrenergic agonist approved for treatment of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension. This trial aims to evaluate whether oral administration of midodrine is an effective adjunct to standard therapy to reduce the duration of IV vasopressor treatment, and allow earlier discharge from ICU and hospital. Methods: The MIDAS trial is an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial being conducted in the USA and Australia. We are targeting 120 patients. Adult patients admitted to the ICU who are resuscitated and otherwise stable on low dose IV vasopressors for at least 24 h will be considered for recruitment. Participants will be randomized to receive midodrine (20 mg) or placebo three times a day, in addition to standard care. The primary outcome is time (hours) from initiation of midodrine or placebo to discontinuation of IV vasopressors. Secondary outcomes include time (hours) from ICU admission to discharge readiness, ICU length of stay (LOS) (days), hospital LOS (days), rates of ICU readmission, and rates of adverse events related to midodrine administration. Discussion: Midodrine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension. In August 2010, FDA proposed to withdraw approval of midodrine because of lack of studies that verify the clinical benefit of the drug. We obtained Investigational New Drug (IND 113,330) approval to study its effects in critically ill patients who require IV vasopressors but are otherwise ready for discharge from the ICU. A pilot observational study in a cohort of surgical ICU patients showed that the rate of decline in vasopressor requirements increased after initiation of midodrine treatment. We hypothesize that midodrine administration is effective to wean IV vasopressors and shorten ICU and hospital LOS. This trial may have significant implications on lowering costs of hospital care and obtaining FDA approval for new indications for midodrine. Trial Registration: This study has been registered at clinicaltrials.gov on 02/09/2012 (NCT01531959). OA gold

Background Survival of patients with acute lung injury or the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been improved by ventilation with small tidal volumes and the use of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP); however, the optimal level of PEEP has been difficult to determine. In this pilot study, we estimated transpulmonary pressure with the use of esophageal balloon catheters. We reasoned that the use of pleuralpressure measurements, despite the technical limitations to the accuracy of such measurements, would enable us to find a PEEP value that could maintain oxygenation while preventing lung injury due to repeated alveolar collapse or overdistention. Methods We randomly assigned patients with acute lung injury or ARDS to undergo mechanical ventilation with PEEP adjusted according to measurements of esophageal pressure (the esophageal-pressure–guided group) or according to the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network standard-of-care recommendations (the control group). The primary end point was improvement in oxygenation. The secondary end points included respiratory-system compliance and patient outcomes. Results The study reached its stopping criterion and was terminated after 61 patients had been enrolled. The ratio of the partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen at 72 hours was 88 mm Hg higher in the esophageal-pressure– guided group than in the control group (95% confidence interval, 78.1 to 98.3; P = 0.002). This effect was persistent over the entire follow-up time (at 24, 48, and 72 hours; P = 0.001 by repeated-measures analysis of variance). Respiratory-system compliance was also significantly better at 24, 48, and 72 hours in the esophagealpressure–guided group (P = 0.01 by repeated-measures analysis of variance). Conclusions As compared with the current standard of care, a ventilator strategy using esophageal pressures to estimate the transpulmonary pressure significantly improves oxygenation and compliance. Multicenter clinical trials are needed to determine whether this approach should be widely adopted. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00127491.)

Background There are reports of rigors and/or clinical deterioration following recruitment maneuvers (RMs), leading us to question whether the use of sustained high-pressure inflation could lead to release of inflammatory mediators. Methods Prospective cohort study of 26 patients with ARDS receiving mechanical ventilation. A single RM was performed during which the mean airway pressure was increased to 40 cm H 2 O and held constant for a period of 30 s. The concentration of nine cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, Fas ligand, vascular endothelial growth factor, TNF receptor 1, TNF receptor 2) was measured longitudinally at three time points: prior to initiation of the RM, 5 min after the RM, and 60 min after the RM. Results RMs were tolerated well from a hemodynamic perspective. Oxygenation improved as reflected by an increased Pao 2 /fraction of inspired oxygen (Fio 2 ) ratio from 140 ± 49 at baseline to 190 ± 78 (mean ± SD) at 5 min after the RM (p = 0.01). At 60 min, the increase in Pao 2 /Fio 2 ratio, to 172 ± 76, was no longer significant (p = 0.1). There were no important changes in the levels of any of the measured cytokines at 5 min or 60 min following RM as compared with the baseline levels. Conclusions The results of our study demonstrate that recruitment maneuvers are well tolerated in patients with ARDS. Our data suggest no major hemodynamic or immunologic evidence of deterioration within the first hour of RM. In particular, cytokines, previously related to worsening lung injury and distal organ failure in patients with ARDS, are not elevated by use of an RM. Registered at: www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00127491.

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is one of the most demanding surgical procedures performed. Intraoperative bleeding can be substantial and related to both surgical and nonsurgical causes. A less common but previously reported phenomenon is intraoperative cardiopulmonary thromboembolism precipitating major patient morbidity and mortality. In this paper, we present four cases of intraoperative thromboembolism during OLT. These cases were performed without the concomitant use of antifibrinolytic drugs. We performed a review and analysis of previously reported cases of intraoperative thromboembolism during OLT. Possible causes of thromboembolism, clinical management, use of thromboelastography, and the role of antifibrinolytic drugs are discussed.

IntroductionOptimal ventilator management for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains uncertain. Lower tidal volume ventilation appears to be beneficial, but optimal management of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) remains unclear. The Esophageal Pressure-Guided Ventilation 2 Trial (EPVent2) aims to examine the impact of mechanical ventilation directed at maintaining a positive transpulmonary pressure (PTP) in patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS.Methods and analysisEPVent2 is a multicentre, prospective, randomised, phase II clinical trial testing the hypothesis that the use of a PTP-guided ventilation strategy will lead to improvement in composite outcomes of mortality and time off the ventilator at 28 days as compared with a high-PEEP control. This study will enrol 200 study participants from 11 hospitals across North America. The trial will utilise a primary composite end point that incorporates death and days off the ventilator at 28 days to test the primary hypothesis that adjusting ventilator pressure to achieve positive PTP values will result in improved mortality and ventilator-free days.Ethics and disseminationSafety oversight will be under the direction of an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). Approval of the protocol was obtained from the DSMB prior to enrolling the first study participant. Approvals of the protocol as well as informed consent documents were also obtained from the Institutional Review Board of each participating institution prior to enrolling study participants at each respective site. The findings of this investigation, as well as associated ancillary studies, will be disseminated in the form of oral and abstract presentations at major national and international medical specialty meetings. The primary objective and other significant findings will also be presented in manuscript form. All final, published manuscripts resulting from this protocol will be submitted to PubMed Central in accordance with the National Institute of Health Public Access Policy.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov under number NCT01681225.

Intensive Care Med (2014) 40:126–128 DOI 10.1007/s00134-013-3127-1 Todd Sarge Stephen H. Loring Maayan Yitsak-Sade Atul Malhotra Victor Novack Daniel Talmor Raising positive end-expiratory pressures in ARDS to achieve a positive transpulmonary pressure does not cause hemodynamic compromise Received: 24 September 2013 Accepted: 27 September 2013 Published online: 15 October 2013 O Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg and ESICM 2013 Dear Editor, High positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is associated with improved survival in patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syn- drome (ARDS) [1], but high PEEP has also been reported to cause right heart failure and hemodynamic com- promise [2]. In our previous trial of ventilator management in ARDS [3], setting PEEP to achieve a positive transpulmonary pressure estimated using esophageal manometry usually increased PEEP, often significantly, but also led to better blood oxygena- tion and respiratory compliance than the control PEEP. To determine whether such manipulations of PEEP degrade hemodynamic function, we LETTER performed a retrospective analysis of the 61 patients in the EPVent Trial, who were all ventilated to achieve a target range of arterial oxygenation after hemodynamic resuscitation by protocol [3]. Subjects in the inter- vention group had PEEP set to maintain oxygenation at a positive estimated transpulmonary pressure (P L = airway pressure - esophageal pressure), whereas those in the con- trol group had PEEP set according to a standard table based on oxygenation as in the ARDSNet low tidal volume trial [4]. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, central venous pressure (CVP), vasopressor require- ments, fluid balance, and simplified organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were analyzed for the 3 days following enrollment. The primary between-group comparison was MAP, and secondary comparisons were cardiovascular SOFA score, urine output, creatinine level, and length-of-stay fluid balance. Baseline characteristics and sever- ity of illness were similar between groups. PEEP and plateau pressures were markedly higher in the inter- vention group (initial PEEP averaged 18.7 vs 11.0 cmH 2 O and plateau pressure 31.4 vs 25.1 cmH 2 O in intervention and control groups, respectively) [3]. Nonetheless, hemodynamic vari- ables including MAP and cardiovascular SOFA score were similar between groups (Fig. 1). MAP improved slightly over the first 72 h in both groups (between-group P = 0.576), fluid balance was reduced toward zero in both groups (between-group P = 0.245), and urine output improved in both groups (between-group P = 0.701). The cardiovascular component of the SOFA score, fluid balance, creatinine levels, urine output, and MAP were compared between groups and tested by generalized estimating equations with adjustment for covariates. None was significantly affected by group assignment. Although limited by the small sample size, these results indicate that raising PEEP as part of a strategy to optimize transpulmonary pressure in adequately resuscitated patients does not result in detectable impairment in hemodynamics, organ function mea- sured by SOFA scores, fluid balance, or vasopressor requirement. With normal lungs, high alveolar pressures in the absence of adequate volume expansion may compress pulmonary vasculature and increase pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), reducing cardiac output and impairing right heart function [5]. However, in ARDS, low lung volume and atelec- tasis may also increase PVR. Under these circumstances, raising PEEP could recruit collapsed lung and lower PVR. In this way, raising PEEP to prevent both lung collapse and overdistension may improve the hemodynamic function. We conclude that in patients with ARDS, individualizing PEEP to optimize transpulmonary pressures using esophageal manometry does not compromise hemodynamic function. We are currently studying the