Positive End Expiratory Pressure, or PEEP, is getting a lot of attention lately. First described in 1938 as an addition to mechanical ventilation that improved oxygenation in acute pulmonary edema, asphyxia and sepsis, the hemodynamic effects of PEEP prevented its widespread use until the 1960s.

By 1970, PEEP had gained traction in treating premature neonates with respiratory distress and adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Today, a growing body of literature suggests that PEEP benefits a wide variety of patients with respiratory distress and might well be useful any time you need to assist ventilations.

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