Medicine

A 26 year old man is critically ill, with multisystem organ failure, and he has not been able to give a clear history of respiratory distress. You suspect Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). 1. The lung injury may be direct, as occurs in sepsis, or indirect, as occurs in Toxic inhalation 2. The aerial (a) PO2 (in mmHg)/FIO2 (inspiratory O2 fraction) > 200 mmHg is characteristic of ARDS 3. Ventilator-induced injury will be more with low tidal volume ventilation in ARDS 4. Moality was significantly lower in the high tidal volume ventilation, compared to the conventional tidal volume ventilated patients 5. High-dose glucocoicoids are useful in the care of ARDS patients