Assessment of Lung Mechanics in COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

This study is meant to assess the lung mechanics in SARS-CoV-2 induced acute respiratory failure. A precise characterisation of lung mechanics and heart-lung-interactions might allow a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 induced acute respiratory failure and thus lead to better mechanical ventilation strategies. This monocentric, observational study of critically ill COVID-19 patients in the ICU, will employ impedance tomography, right-heart catheterization, oesophageal pressure measurements, indirect calorimetry as well as classic mechanical ventilation parameters to characterise the mechanical characteristics of the lung as well as the heart-lung interactions in SARS-CoV-2 induced acute respiratory failure.