Managing Hypercapnia in Patients with Severe ARDS and Low Respiratory System Compliance: The Role of Esophageal Pressure Monitoring—A Case Cohort Study

Figure 2

“Occlusion test.” Representative pressure tracing of one of the patients. After the second breath, inspiratory and expiratory ventilator tubing are occluded (bold arrow). The third and fourth inspiratory effort are made against an occluded airway. Airway pressure tracing is occluded and is thus close to zero. However, large negative deflections can be noticed on the esophageal and tracheal pressure tracing, and in this case the values of both are close to unity, thus indicating a proper position of the esophageal balloon. : airway pressure, : esophageal pressure, and : tracheal pressure at the distal end of endotracheal tube and close to the carina.