BMJ  2007;335:389-394 (25 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.39293.624699.AD

Clinical Review

Clinical Review

Acute respiratory distress syndrome

Department of Critical Care, Imperial College School of Medicine, Royal Brompton Hospital, London SW3 6NP

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

• Acute lung injury and its extreme manifestation, the acute respiratory distress syndrome, complicate a variety of serious medical and surgical conditions, not all of which affect the lung directly • Dyspnoea is the commonest presenting symptom; clinical signs are those of pulmonary oedema • Early admission to intensive care is needed; the precipitating illness should be identified and managed aggressively • Protective techniques of mechanical ventilatory support reduce mortality • Rigorous application of general supportive measures is likely to improve outcome • Non-ventilatory adjuncts to gas exchange generally improve oxygenation but do not reduce mortality • Although death rates are falling, long term debility in survivors is considerable

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is the extreme manifestation of acute lung injury. Both these conditions complicate many medical and surgical conditions, not all of which affect the lung directly and are therefore encountered by clinicians working outside the critical care setting . . . [Full text of this article]

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