Summary of the FICM/ICS Guidelines for the management of ARDS in adult patients
| Topic | GRADE recommendation | Conditions |
| Tidal volume | Strongly in favour | Tidal volume <6 mL/kg ideal body weight; Plateau pressure < 30 cmH2O |
| Prone positioning | Strongly in favour | Proning for >12 hours per day Patients with moderate/severe ARDS (P:F ratio < 20 kPa) |
| HFOV | Strongly against | |
| Conservative fluid management | Weakly in favour | |
| Higher PEEP | Weakly in favour | Patients with moderate or severe ARDS (PF ratio <27 kPa) |
| NMBA | Weakly in favour | Evidence only for cisatracurium besylate Continuous 48 hours infusion Patients with moderate/severe ARDS (<20 kPa) |
| ECMO | Weakly in favour | With lung-protective mechanical ventilation Patients with severe ARDS, lung injury score >3 or pH <7.20 due to uncompensated hypercapnoea |
| Inhaled vasodilators | Weakly against | Evidence only for inhaled nitric oxide |
| Corticosteroids | Research recommendation | |
| ECCO2R | Research recommendation |
ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; ECCO2R, extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; FICM, Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine; HFOV, high frequency oscillation; ICS, Intensive Care Society; NMBA, neuromuscular blocking agents; PEEP, peek end-expiratory pressure.