How does a lung recruitment maneuver work?

A lung recruitment maneuver is specifically designed to improve oxygenation by applying sustained pressure. This technique involves temporarily increasing the airway pressure to open collapsed alveoli, thereby increasing lung volume and enhancing gas exchange. By doing so, more lung units become available for ventilation, which can significantly improve oxygenation levels in patients, especially those with conditions like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

This method is highly beneficial in helping to recruit collapsed or poorly ventilated lung areas, which are not adequately participating in gas exchange under normal ventilatory settings. The sustained pressure helps recruit these areas, allowing for improved ventilation-perfusion matching and ultimately leading to a better saturation of oxygen in the blood.

While other options may relate to various ventilatory strategies, they do not achieve the same effect as a recruitment maneuver. For instance, decreasing tidal volumes may improve patient comfort but does not address issues of recruitment or improve oxygenation effectively. Cycling through different ventilator modes or increasing respiratory rates might alter ventilation dynamics but would not necessarily facilitate the recruitment of collapsed alveoli to enhance gas exchange in the same way as applying sustained pressure would.