RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Acute Lung Injury: Prevention May Be the Best Medicine
JF Respiratory Care
FD American Association for Respiratory Care
SP 1546
OP 1554
DO 10.4187/respcare.01361
VO 56
IS 10
A1 John M Litell
A1 Michelle Ng Gong
A1 Daniel Talmor
A1 Ognjen Gajic
YR 2011
UL http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/10/1546.abstract
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.