Long-term assessment of pulmonary function tests in pediatric survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to evaluate long-term pulmonary function tests in pediatric survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).


METHODS
Observational study based on a telephone poll of retrospectively identified post ARDS children who were hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in a general 1200-bed teaching, tertiary, regional referral center for children.


RESULTS
Follow-up pulmonary function tests were achieved in only 7 children, with a mean age of 7.3+/-4.3 years (range 3-12) and following 5.6+/-4.3 years after PICU discharge. The etiology for ARDS included: lymphoma (n=2), pneumonia (n=2), aspiration (n=1), petrol ingestion (n=1) and snake envenomation (n=1). The children had been ventilated for 9.4+/-7.3 days and their worst PaO2/FiO2 ratio was 65.1+/-17.0 mm Hg. The follow-up pulmonary functions in all the children was within normal limits except for one child who had mildly reduced DLCO and one who had mild exercise-induced hypoxemia (oxyhemoglobin saturation of 94%). Neither of the two nor the others showed subjective symptoms or clinical physical limitations.


CONCLUSIONS
Children who survive ARDS apparently enjoy long-term normal pulmonary function. Some, however, may present subclinical dysfunction that persists for many years after the acute episode and evoked only by sophisticated lung tests.
Ben-Abraham
Ron
R
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Isreal.
Weinbroum
Avi A
AA
Roizin
Hector
H
Efrati
Ori
O
Augarten
Arie
A
Harel
Ran
R
Moreh
Osnat
O
Barzilay
Zohar
Z
Paret
Gideon
G
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011379:Prognosis; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies