Study	Reason for exclusion
Amato 1995	Participants in this study were included from the subsequent larger study published in 1998 (see Amato 1998).
Amato 1998	The control group strategy included a tidal volume of 12 mL/kg, not protective lung ventilation. The intervention group included children.
Barker 2002	Not a recruitment manoeuvre using the ventilator, but a manual breath using a rebreathing bag
Bollen 2005	RCT of high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation that is not covered as part of this review
Brower 2003	Cross‐over study, not a RCT
Constantin 2010	Participants with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure (not ARDS)
Derdak 2002	RCT of high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation (Sud 2013)
Dolinay 2011	Not an RCT of recruitment manoeuvres vs no recruitment manoeuvres
Dyhr 2003	Cross‐over study, not an RCT
Foti 2000	Cross‐over study, not an RCT
Gattinoni 2006	Not an RCT of recruitment manoeuvres vs no recruitment manoeuvres
Holzapfel 1987	RCT of high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation (Sud 2013)
Hurst 1990	RCT of high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation (Sud 2013)
Lasocki 2005	Cross‐over study, not an RCT
Lim 2003	Not an RCT
Lowhagen 2011	Comparison of 2 different recruitment manoeuvre techniques
Meade 2002	Not an RCT of recruitment manoeuvres vs no recruitment manoeuvres
Stewart 2002	Not an RCT of recruitment manoeuvres vs no recruitment manoeuvres

ARDS = acute respiratory distress syndrome; RCT = randomized controlled trial.