Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Increased pulmonary alveolar-capillary permeability in patients at risk for adult respiratory distress syndrome

Journal Article · · Crit. Care Med.; (United States)

Two methods for predicting adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were evaluated prospectively in a group of 81 multitrauma and sepsis patients considered at clinical high risk. A popular ARDS risk-scoring method, employing discriminant analysis equations (weighted risk criteria and oxygenation characteristics), yielded a predictive accuracy of 59% and a false-negative rate of 22%. Pulmonary alveolar-capillary permeability (PACP) was determined with a radioaerosol lung-scan technique in 23 of these 81 patients, representing a statistically similar subgroup. Lung scanning achieved a predictive accuracy of 71% (after excluding patients with unilateral pulmonary contusion) and gave no false-negatives. We propose a combination of clinical risk identification and functional determination of PACP to assess a patient's risk of developing ARDS.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH
OSTI ID:
6863105
Journal Information:
Crit. Care Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Crit. Care Med.; (United States) Vol. 4; ISSN CCMDC
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English