The gut microbiome in ARDS: from the “whether” and “what” to the “how”

Recent studies, both clinical and experimental, have established beyond question that the gut microbiome plays an important role in organ dysfunction in critical illness. A recent study in this journal [1] demonstrated that among mechanically ventilated patients, depletion of gut anaerobes ( via anti-anaerobic antibiotics) is associated with a 7% increase in in-hospital mortality. An impressive study in ERJ reveals the importance, and complexity, of the gut microbiome's role in ALI/ARDS