title: The acute respiratory distress syndrome.
abstract: ARDS is a complex response of the lung to direct (inhalational) and indirect (hematogenous) insults. It is easy to be pessimistic about the benefit of the approaches we have described, but there is evidence that overall survival has improved in recent years. To maintain this progress, new therapies for ARDS must be rigorously evaluated, and their routine use should be recommended only after careful scrutiny of the evidence. Such a course will eliminate the unnecessary risks and costs often associated with unproved therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO 63110.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kollef
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Schuster
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*