Fig. 1. Initial ventilator settings in patients without acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome. * Interstitial lung disease, lung resection, severe pneumonia, edema. ** Sepsis, aspiration, transfusions. § The patient must be passive without significant spontaneous respiratory efforts or plateau pressure underestimates the propensity for pulmonary overdistention; if the patient has a stiff chest wall ( e.g. , ascites), plateau pressure overestimates the propensity for overdistention. £ To prevent atelectasis and maintain oxygenation. PBW = predicted body weight; PEEP = positive end-expiratory pressure.