Lung recruitment in mechanical ventilation

A ventilation system, comprising:

• a breathing apparatus providing mechanical ventilation to a patient, the breathing apparatus being configured to perform an automated full recruitment manoeuvre (FRM) comprising a recruitment phase and an appropriate end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titration phase, and, during the PEEP titration phase, to:
• gradually decrease a level of PEEP and to deliver a number of breaths at each of a plurality of PEEP levels;
• monitor at least one parameter using a processor and at least one sensor from which an optimal PEEP of the patient is configured to be determined;
• using the processor, predict whether the optimal PEEP will be possible to reliably determine later on during the PEEP titration phase;
• and
• automatically abort the FRM manoeuvre if it is predicted that it will not be possible to reliably determine the optimal PEEP.