Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 January 2010
Introduction and definitions
Acute lung injury (ALI) is a devastating disorder caused by many underlying medical and surgical diseases; and, when complicated by severe hypoxemia, is termed the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In 1967, Ashbaugh and colleagues first described some key features of ARDS, including: (a) respiratory distress and tachypnea (b) severe hypoxemia (c) diffuse alveolar infiltrates on chest radiography and (d) decreased lung compliance, all occurring in the setting of an acute medical or surgical illness. While this descriptive definition lacks specificity, it encompasses the fundamental concept that ALI is diffuse lung injury caused either by a direct (e.g., aspiration of gastric contents) or an indirect (e.g., sepsis) pulmonary insult.
In hopes of standardizing clinical care and research studies, attempts have been made to apply more strict criteria to the definition of ARDS. Murray and colleagues in 1988 proposed a comprehensive definition of ARDS, including details on: the severity of lung injury, the mechanism of lung injury, and the presence of non-pulmonary organ dysfunction. Lung injury was quantified based on the severity of 4 parameters and termed the Lung Injury Score (LIS); it includes: (a) the ratio of the partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2), (b) the level of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) applied during mechanical ventilation, (c) the static lung compliance, and (d) the extent of alveolar infiltrates on chest radiographs.
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