The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

In this review we evaluate specific therapeutic strategies for the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)1,2 and make recommendations on their use. We begin with a brief overview of the laboratory tests used to evaluate suspected cases of the syndrome, because these often dictate the subsequent therapeutic approaches. The clinical features, pathogenesis, and pathologic features of ARDS have been reviewed extensively elsewhere.318 We recognize that the understanding of ARDS and its optimal clinical management will continue to advance and that our recommendations will therefore be modified.Definition of ARDSThe recent European–American Consensus Conference on ARDS developed the following . . .