Respiratory Distress Syndrome Case Study

Main point: Acute respiratory distress syndrome affects over a million people and has a high mortality rate of 34-58% regardless to the improvements in intensive care and ventilatory technologies. The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is well documented in neonatal and pediatric patients. However, the use in adults is very limited. This case presented a successful use of ECMO therapy to treat a patient who had a complex condition and was not effective in traditional treatments.
THREE to FOUR important “things” (include some detail not just the “what”) the article had to say that you didn’t already know or needed to be reminded
1. Over 80% of ARDS cases are primarily caused by sepsis and or bacterial pneumonia. The diagnostic criteria of ARDS is acute onset of symptoms, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph, hypoxia and the absence of left atrial hypertension. The ratio
The clinical course of ARDS has three phases: exudative, proliferative, and fibrotic. 1). The exudative phase is about 7 days after injury or illness. Typical signs and symptoms are rapid shallow breathing and a sign of dyspnea. The characteristics of this phase is diffused alveolar damage and lung endothelial injury. The increased capillary permeability of the epithelial barrier leads to an influx and accumulation of fluid in the alveolar and interstitial space. Alveolar edema leads to atelectasis and poor aeration. The reduction of lung compliance causes intrapulmonary shunting and hypoxemia. 2). The proliferative phase lasts 7 to 21 days, patients often make rapid recovery. This phase is characterized by reorganizing of alveolar exudate and increasing of lymphocytes, and synthesizing surfactant. 3). Although the lung function of most patients will recover by 3 to 4 weeks following injury. Some patients develop fibrotic injury and lead to interstitial fibrosis. Fibrotic changes and structural disorganization increase the risk of pneumothorax and reduced lung