INTRODUCTION Few pediatric data exists on the ventilation mode and parameters that would provide the greatest benefit with the least risk to an individual pediatric patient with Acute Lung Injury (ALI). Current expert opinion is that it is reasonable to follow adult recommendations and to adapt clinical management in children according to adult data. In the absence of consensus and established guidelines for mechanical ventilation in children with ALI, we believe that the daily clinical practice in pediatric intensive care units is subject to great variations according to the experience, comfort and knowledge of the attending intensivist.

METHODS Objective: Describe invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation in pediatric cases of ALI.

Hypothesis: There is an important variability in the observed practice pattern of mechanical ventilation in pediatric cases of ALI.

Design: An international cross-sectional epidemiologic study in Pediatric Intensive Care Units on the observed practice pattern of invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation in children with ALI.

Setting: Pediatric Intensive Care Units in Canada, United States, Europe.

Patients: Patients less than 18 years old on invasive or non-invasive mechanical ventilation with a diagnosis of ALI on the day of the study.

Measurements: Demographic data on included patients; their underlying chronic disease and acute disease leading to non-invasive mechanical ventilation or intubation and mechanical ventilation; data on mechanical ventilation mode and parameters, vital signs, lab results, radiographic findings, treatments, complications of mechanical ventilation will be recorded every 6 hours for 24 hours. A web based case report form will be developed.

Sample size: We plan to conduct the study on isolated days at least one month apart until we reach 200 patients with ALI, to include at least 10 patients on high frequency ventilation. We estimate that with 5 days of study in 70 centers we should reach this number.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS We believe this study will provide important data on the actual mechanical ventilation strategies in pediatric patients with ALI. The next step will be to conduct a prospective international study on mechanical ventilation strategies and to follow patients prospectively during the whole course of their mechanical ventilation.