“…This increased in oxygenation after ARM also suggests an improvement in the ratio between ventilation and pulmonary perfusion. There are controversies regarding the degree of effectiveness of ARM used by itself, associated with PEEP, or PEEP alone to correct hypoxemia after cardiac and pulmonary surgeries 5,11,15,16 . A prior study, also with patients in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery, demonstrated that the progressive use of PEEP until 15 cmH 2 O increased oxygenation with minimal negative hemodynamic effects 5 .…”