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Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Vol. 18, No. 2, 118-131 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0897190004273595

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Brian S. Burleson, PharmD

Department of Pharmacy Practice, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Pharmacy, Amarillo, Texas, Brian.Burleson{at}TTUHSC.EDU

Erik D. Maki, PharmD

Department of Pharmacy Practice, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Pharmacy, Amarillo, Texas

Acute lung injury is a syndrome diagnosed clinically and is one of the most common causes of respiratory failure seen in the intensive care unit. A consensus definition of this and its more severe form, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), has allowed for better consistency in determining the epidemiology and facilitates consistent clinical trial design to better find therapies to treat or prevent it. Patients who present with ARDS usually show signs of tachpnea or dyspnea and have underlying conditions that promote inflammatory responses. The pathogenesis involves an inflammatory insult that eventually destroys the pulmonary capillary vasculature as well as alveoli. Pathophysiologically, the patient with ARDS may progress through as many as 3 phases: exudative, proliferative, and fibrotic. Treatment options can be either nonpharmacologic or pharmacologic and are limited. Ventilator strategies such as low-tidal-volume ventilation have improved outcomes in these patients, while corticosteroid use is not as established to provide morbidity or mortality benefit. Other therapies have been investigated with inconclusive or disappointing results for the treatment of this fatal syndrome.

Key Words: Acute respiratory distress syndrome • acute lung injury • nonpharmacologic therapy • pharmacologic therapy


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