The adult respiratory distress Syndrome

Preview

Despite great strides in improved medical care over the past 20 years, the incidence of adult respiratory distress syndrome has, ironically, increased. An extreme form of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema that occurs in seriously ill patients, the syndrome has a 50% or greater death rate even with aggressive, sophisticated treatment. In this review article, Dr Sprung and associates point out why the syndrome remains an enigma and discuss pathophysiologic mechanisms, diagnostic criteria, and current therapies.