[Comparison of lateral position and prone position ventilation in patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical result of lateral position ventilation and prone position ventilation in acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) patients. METHODS: Twenty-four patients were allocated to two groups, with one group (n = 13) receiving lateral position ventilation after April 2002, and the other (n = 11) received prone position ventilation before March 2002. Respiratory and circulatory indices were monitored after position changes and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: One hour after position change PaO(2) was elevated in both groups; in the lateral position group from (103 +/- 12) mm Hg to (126 +/- 13) mm Hg (P < 0.01), and in the prone position group from (87 +/- 19) mm Hg to (119 +/- 15) mm Hg (P < 0.01). If a 10 mm Hg increase was regarded as the standard of treatment effectiveness, then the effective rate in the lateral position group was 61.5% and in the prone position group was 63.6%, the difference being not significant. CONCLUSION: As auxiliary means in the treatment of ALI/ARDS, lateral position and prone position ventilation showed similar effects, but the lateral position was more convenient for practice and medical care, thus needs further investigation.