The Pleural Pressure Working Group (PLUG) is an international network of physicians and investigators working on advanced monitoring of mechanical ventilation and respiratory failure. Our goal is to promote research and use of advanced monitoring, discuss study results, and provide educational tools. PLUG working group is open to anybody interested in this topic and is independent from any manufacturer or private company.

​

PLUG has been created as a working group of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) by Dr. Laurent Brochard in 2012 and became an independent group in 2021. The first focus was to promote research and use of esophageal pressure in mechanically ventilated patients. The focus was later extended to advance monitoring including electrical impedance tomography, lung ultrasound, electromyography, etc.

​

The group gathers more than 600 members from all over the world. The organization is structured in an executive committee, a scientific committee and an educational committee.

​

The main activities of the PLUG working group are:

• Publication of review articles about esophageal pressure monitoring and other advanced monitoring techniques in respiratory failure. The PLUG members published numerous research articles

• Organization of multicenter trials

• Organization of scientific meetings throughout the year in Europe and North America

• Creation of educational tools

​

​

Executive committee:

Chair: Laurent Brochard, Toronto, Canada

Tommaso Mauri, Milano, Italy

Leo Heunks, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

 

Scientific committee:

Chair: Daniel Talmor, Boston, US

Ewan Goligher, Toronto, Canada

Claude Guerin, Lyon, France

Stefano Nava, Bologna, Italy

 

Educational committee:

Chair: Jean-Michel Arnal, Toulon, France

Davide Chiumello, Milano, Italy

Alberto Goffi, Toronto, Canada

Francesco Mojoli, Pavia, Italy

Oriol Roca, Barcelona, Spain

Lisanne Roesthuis, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Carlo Alberto Volta, Ferrara, Italy

​

Website/newsletters:

Annemijn Jonkman, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Bertrand Pavlovsky, Angers, France