Published in:
01-07-2013 | What's New in Intensive Care
What is new in refractory hypoxemia?
Authors:
Jesús Villar, Robert M. Kacmarek
Published in:
Intensive Care Medicine
|
Issue 7/2013
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Excerpt
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an inflammatory disease process of the lungs characterized by severe hypoxemia, reduced lung compliance, and bilateral radiographic infiltrates [
1]. Mechanical ventilation (MV) is the standard life support technique during ARDS for providing adequate oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination, while the underlying disease process is being treated to restore normal pulmonary function. However, some ARDS patients develop refractory hypoxemia and MV is unable to sustain adequate gas exchange despite the use of high inspired oxygen concentrations (FiO
2) and high levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) [
2]. …