Se Asian J Trop Med
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Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been a well recognized severe form of acute respiratory failure of multiple causes, which is characterized by intractable hypoxemia and an extremely high mortality rate. Forty-six cases of ARDS admitted to the Department of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital during a 39 months period were studied prospectively to explore the etiologic risk, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) profiles, complications and outcome of treatment. There were 19 females and 27 males with the mean age of 40 years. ⋯ There were 28 deaths of patients in this study, giving an overall 60.8% group mortality rate. Despite the similarities in most clinical profiles, the survivors, when compared to the non-survivors, showed a greater extent of improved oxygenation in response to the application of PEEP, with fewer PEEP complications. The present study would, hopefully, provide the Thai clinicians with valuable informations in the management of ARDS.