Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2013
Comparative StudyQuantitative Diagnosis of Diffuse Alveolar Damage Using Extravascular Lung Water*
Acute respiratory distress syndrome is characterized by diffuse alveolar damage and increased extravascular lung water levels. However, there is no threshold extravascular lung water level that can indicate diffuse alveolar damage in lungs. We aimed to determine the threshold extravascular lung water level that discriminates between normal lungs and lungs affected with diffuse alveolar damage. ⋯ This study may provide the first validated quantitative bedside diagnostic tool for diffuse alveolar damage. Extravascular lung water may allow the detection of diffuse alveolar damage and may support the clinical diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome. The best extravascular lung water cut-off value to discriminate between normal lungs and lungs with diffuse alveolar damage is around 10 mL/kg.