I. Introduction
One of the primary tasks in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is to maintain the cardiopulmonary function of patients through, among other means, respiratory support using mechanical ventilation (MV). Such interventions can result in further risks to the patient, for example, large tidal volumes and ventilator pressures are detrimental to patients' lungs [1] while changes in lung inflation and thoracic pressure as a result of MV can have deleterious effects on the functioning of the cardiovascular system [2].