A Comparative Study of the Survivors and Non-Survivors of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life threatening condition in which respiratory failure occurs due to lung injury caused by various etiological factors. Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure as occurs in ARDS requires positive pressure ventilation. ARDS is a major cause of morbidity and mortality; and it also leads to major expenditure in intensive care units. This is a comparative hospital based observational study conducted over a period of one year in an emergency ICU to compare the clinical profile of survivors and non-survivors of ARDS. Included in the study were adult patients who fulfilled the criteria for ARDS according to the Berlin Definition of 2012. The study included 44 patients with ARDS, which was 6.3% of the total number of patients admitted to emergency ICU. There was no significant difference in relation to age among survivors and non-survivors. Non-pulmonary sepsis was the most common cause of ARDS (29.5%) followed by aspiration (22.7%), shock (18%), pneumonia (14%), pancreatitis (11%), malaria (9%) and major trauma (7%). The mortality in our study was 54.54%. The mean initial PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio in survivors (162.8±41.89) was more than that in non-survivors (88.9±7.71); the difference being statistically significant (p<0.0001). Out of the non-survivors, 54% had sepsis as the cause. Nonsurvivors have lower oxygenation ratio at presentation and more number of organ dysfunction.