PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Litell, John M
AU  - Gong, Michelle Ng
AU  - Talmor, Daniel
AU  - Gajic, Ognjen
TI  - Acute Lung Injury: Prevention May Be the Best Medicine
AID  - 10.4187/respcare.01361
DP  - 2011 Oct 01
TA  - Respiratory Care
PG  - 1546--1554
VI  - 56
IP  - 10
4099  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/10/1546.short
4100  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/10/1546.full
AB  - Acute lung injury affects a subset of hospitalized patients but is not universal. This syndrome can substantially delay ventilator liberation, prolong intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and increase mortality. As with many critical illness syndromes, the available treatment options are limited in number and impact. Once a patient develops lung injury, the best known strategy is supportive care. Observational studies have identified potential risk factors and have suggested that the use and timing of certain critical care interventions may influence the likelihood of developing lung injury. These findings suggest that a well designed screening tool and the systematic application of best practices in critical care may limit the risk of lung injury. An effective prediction score may also facilitate enrollment in pharmacopreventive trials. Development of such tools is accelerated by multicenter collaboration.