According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, 1,222 lung transplants were performed in Canada between 1997 and 2006, but 299 people died while waiting for a transplant. There were 252 people waiting to receive lung transplants in 2006, up from 119 in 1997.

"This is pretty simple and easy to implement," Dr. Slutsky said. "It's not like a fancy new drug or equipment. You just have to change the ventilator a little bit."

Dr. Slutsky said some doctors and hospitals may already be following a similar "lung protective strategy" but this is the first published randomized clinical trial showing it works, which could lead to standards that all hospitals would follow.

"If this is adopted widely, we think it will increase the number of lungs available for transplant, increase the quality of life for some people and probably save the lives of some people who are on the waiting list," he said.

Source: St. Michael's Hospital