Face-Down position may cut deaths in severe ARDS
NCT ID NCT00527813
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether placing patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) face down (prone) for at least 16 hours a day could lower their risk of dying. 474 adults on ventilators were randomly assigned to prone or standard (semi-recumbent) positioning. The main goal was to see if prone positioning reduced deaths within 28 days.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- prone positioning (lying face down for at least 16 hours per day)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could become a standard, low-cost way to lower death rates in severe ARDS patients in intensive care.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed trial, but results may not apply to all ARDS patients or settings. The benefit may be modest and depends on careful patient selection and care.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Hôpital Croix Rousse
Lyon, 69317, France
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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