title: Incidence and mortality after acute respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome in Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. The ARF Study Group.
abstract: To determine the incidence and 90-d mortality of acute respiratory failure (ARF), acute lung injury (ALI), and the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), we carried out an 8-wk prospective cohort study in Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. All intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (n = 13,346) >/= 15 yr of age were assessed between October 6th and November 30th, 1997 in 132 of 150 ICUs with resources to treat patients with intubation and mechanical ventilation (I + MV) >/= 24 h. ARF was defined as I + MV >/= 24 h. ALI and ARDS were defined using criteria recommended by the American-European Consensus Conference on ARDS. Calculation to correct the incidence for unidentified subjects from nonparticipating ICUs was made. No correction for in- or out-migration from the study area was possible. The population in the three countries >/= 15 yr of age was 11.74 million. One thousand two hundred thirty-one ARF patients were included, 287 ALI and 221 ARDS patients were identified. The incidences were for ARF 77.6, for ALI 17.9, and for ARDS 13.5 patients per 100,000/yr. Ninety-day mortality was 41.0% for ARF, including ALI and ARDS patients, 42.2% for ALI not fulfilling ARDS criteria, and 41.2% for ARDS.
authors.affiliation: Division of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Karolinska Institute at Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: O R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Luhr
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Antonsen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aardal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thorsteinsson
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Frostell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bonde
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D003718:Denmark; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland; D015994:Incidence; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013548:Sweden