The Oscillation for ARDS Treated Early (OSCILLATE) Trial Pilot Study

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common and catastrophic complication of critical illness related to burns, motor vehicle accidents, or overwhelming infection. ARDS kills 40-70% of affected patients. Patients with ARDS require life support in the form of a ventilator to breathe for them while their lungs heal. Ironically, ventilators can cause further damage to the lungs. We are conducting a study comparing 2 methods to protect the lungs from further damage. One method uses standard mechanical ventilators and the other uses a new type of ventilator, called a high frequency oscillator. We propose to test whether this high frequency oscillation will reduce the relative risk of dying from ARDS. 72 patients from 12 intensive care units in Canada and Saudi Arabia will participate in this preliminary study to test the feasibility of our study methods. If feasible, we plan to move on and conduct a large multinational study to definitively answer this question.