Non Conventional Treatment of Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Abstract

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a common entity in critical care. ARDS is associated with many diagnoses, including trauma and sepsis, can lead to multiple organ failure and has high mortality. Supportive measures in the management of ARDS include attention to fluid balance, restrictive transfusion strategies and the use of corticosteroids is also important, and appropriate timely use may reduce mortality. Prone position as rescue therapy for severe hypoxemia and high frequency ventilation, and minimization of sedatives and neuromuscular blocking agents. Inhaled bronchodilators such as inhaled nitric oxide and prostaglandins confer short term improvement without proven effect on survival, but are currently used in many centers. Extra corporeal oxygenation methods are very useful as rescue therapy in patients with intractable hypoxemia, even though a survival benefit has not, to this date been demonstrated.Many pharmacologic and supportive strategies have shown promising results, but data from large randomized clinical trials are needed to fully evaluate the true effectiveness of these therapies.