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Inverse ratio ventilation is not necessarily a mode of mechanical ventilation though it may be referred to as such. IRV is a strategy of ventilating the lungs in such a way that the amount of time the lungs are in inhalation is greater than the amount of time they are in exhalation, allowing for a constant inflation of the lungs, ensuring they remain "recruited". The primary goal for IRV is improved oxygenation by forcing inspiratory time to be greater than expiratory time increasing the mean airway pressure and potentially improving oxygenation. Normal I:E ratio is 5:6, so forcing the I:E to be 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, is the source of the term for the strategy.
IRV has not often been shown to improve important clinical outcomes, such as mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, or duration of ICU stay. This may be due to the fact that IRV is not considered as a mode early enough once ARDS is diagnosed. The preponderance of evidence suggests that IRV improves oxygenation, although the evidence is weak and characterized by low quality, conflicting studies.