• Main
• Free Newsletter
• About Us
• Foundation Views
• Facts
• MEDICAL ARTICLES
• Corticosterioids in ARDS
• ICU Delirium & Cognitive Impairment
• One Year Outcomes
• Incidence Outcome Acute Lung Injury
• "I Can't Breathe"(Dyspnea)
• Post-ARDS Rehab
• Post-ARDS Effects
• PATIENT SUPPORT ARTICLES
• Post-ARDS Tips
• 1001 Loving Ways to Help
• Inpatient Rehab Questions
• Long-Term Acute Care Facilites
• Resources
• News & Events
• Media Kit
• ARDS Poster
• ARDS Xray Progression
• Survivor Registry
• ARDS Stories
• Patient/Family Care Center
• Make a Difference
• Discussion Forum
• Immediate Support
• ARDS and Sepsis
• Healing Power of Music
• Body, Mind, & Spirit
• Medical Board of Directors
• ATS/ARDS Foundation Research Grant
• Online Petition Letter
• Research Survey
• Patient & Family Advisory Board
• Children and ARDS

To Read Article in New England Journal of Medicine

Herridge et al. One-Year Outcomes in Survivors of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. New England Journal of Medicine Vol 348 (8) Pages 683-693, issue February 20, 2003.

A note from Dr. Margaret Herridge, regarding the New England Journal of Medicine Article:

Our group believes that this study offers some good news to ARDS patients and their families. We now understand that patients who have sustained a severe episode of ARDS can achieve good long-term function one year after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). It is important to maintain hope and a sense of vision for our most critically ill patients because they can achieve good outcomes.

Our study demonstrates that virtually all ARDS survivors suffer from some degree of muscle wasting and weakness following their ICU stay and that this continues to one year after discharge and perhaps longer. Our group showed that the muscle weakness is associated with treatment with systemic corticosteroids and also associated with the severity of organ dysfunction documented during the ICU period. We believe that this muscle weakness contributes to the compromised functional ability and quality of life reported by ARDS survivors. We hypothesize that the muscle weakness is a result of muscle injury sustained during the episode of critical illness but we need to do further research in this area to understand this more completely.

Most patients who survive ARDS and do not have pre-existing lung disease regain good lung function. Some patients who are thought to have ARDS may have an inflammatory disorder of the lungs known as Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia (BOOP). This lung disease is very different from ARDS and can result in permanent scarring and damage to the lungs if not recognized and treated early with systemic corticosteroids.

Many groups around the world are currently studying long-term outcomes in survivors of ARDS. We hope that future work will help us to understand the issues faced by patients and their families- and most importantly- how changes in ICU and post-ICU care can help ARDS survivors achieve the very best possible outcomes.