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. 2021 Mar 30;2021(3):CD009098. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009098.pub3

Villar 2006.

Study characteristics
Methods Multi‐centre randomised controlled trial conducted in 8 ICUs in Spain
Time period of study: March 1999 through March 2001
Participants 95 participants aged ≥ 15
Included: established ARDS
Excluded: patients with acute cardiac clinical conditions, pregnancy, neuromuscular disease, high risk of mortality within 3 months for reasons other than ARDS (severe neurological damage, age > 80 years, cancer patients in terminal stage of disease), more than 2 extrapulmonary organ failures
Sample size was estimated considering that the intervention group would produce 20% reduction in ICU mortality vs control. Power calculations assumed 20% reduction in mortality rate from 50% in the control group to 30% in the intervention group (with an α level of.05 at power of 80%, requiring a sample size of 74 patients in each group). 50% mortality was based on previous studies (Lewandowski 1995; Villar 1999). There was justification for stopping the study in the presence of efficacy (when there were ≥ 45 participants per group and difference in ICU mortality was ≥ 20%)
Interventions Control (45) and intervention (50): MV ventilator mode (both groups): volume‐assist control, respiratory rate to maintain PaCO₂ between 35 and 50 cmH₂O
Control: TV 9 to 11 mL/kg PBW, PEEP ≥ 5 cmH₂O and FIO₂ to optimise SpO₂ > 90% and PaO₂ between 70 and 100 mmHg. Mean PEEP 8.8 cmH₂O during first 72 hours
Intervention: TV 5 to 8 mL/kg PBW, PEEP 2 cmH₂O above Pflex or 15 cmH₂O if no Pflex; FIO₂ to optimise SpO₂ > 90% and PaO₂ between 70 and 100 mmHg. Mean PEEP 12.6 cmH₂O during first 72 hours
Outcomes Primary: mortality in ICU
Secondary: mortality before hospital discharge, VFDs, extrapulmonary organ failure, barotrauma
Notes Discontinued prematurely because absolute mortality difference between control and intervention groups satisfied the stopping rule
This study was funded in part by the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria of Spain
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Study authors used blocked randomisation (restricted randomisation) stratified by centre
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Low risk Opaque sealed envelopes that were randomly ordered
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes Low risk Incomplete blinding (blinding of participants but not of personnel) but outcomes not influenced
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes Low risk No blinding but outcomes not influenced
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes Low risk Three out of 53 participants missing from intervention group and 5 out of 50 participants missing from control group because a centre failed to adhere to the randomisation method. Final analysis was performed with remaining 95 participants
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk Published reports included all expected outcomes
Other bias Low risk Review authors believed the study to be free of other sources of bias

AECC: American‐European Consensus Conference.

ALI: acute lung injury.

APACHE II: Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation II.

ARDS: acute respiratory distress syndrome.

ECMO: extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

FIO₂: fraction of inspired oxygen.

HFO: high‐frequency oscillatory therapy.

ICU: intensive care unit.

LIS: Lung Injury Scale.

LOS: length of stay.

MAP: mean arterial pressure.

MV: mechanical ventilation.

OLA: Open Lung Approach.

PaO₂: partial pressure of oxygen.

PBW: predicted body weight.

PEEP: positive end‐expiratory pressure.

SOFA: Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.

SpO₂: oxygen saturation.

TV: Tidal Volume.

VFDs: ventilator‐free days.