In ARDS patients, what adjustment is often made to respiratory rate (F)?

In patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), increasing the respiratory rate is often necessary to improve ventilation and oxygenation. ARDS leads to reduced lung compliance and impaired gas exchange, making it crucial for practitioners to help patients eliminate carbon dioxide and enhance oxygen delivery.

By increasing the respiratory rate, more breaths are delivered within a given period, facilitating the removal of carbon dioxide from the bloodstream and allowing for an appropriate exchange of oxygen. This strategy often goes hand-in-hand with volume control or pressure control ventilation modalities to optimize lung recruitment while minimizing volutrauma.

Additionally, it's important to closely monitor the patient's arterial blood gases and overall respiratory status to ensure that the adjustments are effectively addressing their needs. The goal in ARDS management is to maintain adequate oxygenation and ventilation while being cautious of barotrauma and volutrauma to the fragile lung tissue.