Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening respiratory syndrome associated with the development of dyspnea and hypoxemia. The disease progresses from several hours to days, leading to the requirement of mechanical ventilation and admission to the ICUs. To date, no specific medication has been found to be effective against the disease. Hence, prevention and management are the treatment goals.
The treatment includes reduction of shunt fraction, increasing oxygen delivery, decreasing oxygen consumption, and avoiding injury. Patients are ventilated, prescribed diuretics to reduce fluid overload, and provided additional nutritional support. However, according to some trials, some ventilation strategies can increase alveolar damage. It is recommended that mechanical ventilation of patients with ARDS should follow the NIH-NIHLB ARDS Clinical Network Mechanical Ventilation…
