A comprehensive review of major studies that assessed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) deaths has revealed that mortality in patients with ARDS has not fallen since 1994.
“Our systematic review has shown that mortality due to ARDS has remained relatively unchanged since 1994, coincident with the publication of the current syndrome definition,” said Niall Ferguson, MD, director of clinical research, critical care medicine, of the University Health Network of the University of Toronto. “Our results highlight the need for future effective therapeutic interventions for this highly lethal syndrome.’”
All prospective observational and randomized controlled trials between 1984 and 2006 that included more than 50 ARDS/acute lung injury (ALI) patients and reported mortality were reviewed. The authors state that their findings suggest a benchmark mortality of 40% to 45%.
“The main finding of our systematic review is that mortality due to ARDS has remained static at 44% for observational studies and 36% for randomized controlled trials since a standard definition [of ARDS] was introduced in 1994,” said Ferguson. “Most importantly, our results highlight the need for future effective therapeutic interventions for this highly lethal syndrome.”
[removed]The study[/removed] is published in the first issue for February of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
