Lung recruitment: a role in mechanical ventilation.

This review addresses the current understanding of atelectasis-induced lung injury. The pathophysiology of this process affecting surfactant function, cytokine modulation and translocation of bacteria play an ever-growing role in ventilator-associated lung injury. Lung recruitment and the ability to decrease atelectasis may thus affect outcomes. Several modalities to decrease atelectasis and open the lung will be reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]