The influence of race on the development of acute lung injury in trauma patients.
BACKGROUND
Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are sequelae of severe trauma. It is unknown if certain races are at greater risk of developing ALI/ARDS, and once established, if there are racial differences in the severity of lung injury or mortality.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study of 4,397 trauma patients (1,831 Caucasians, 871 African-Americans, 886 Hispanics, and 809 Asian/Pacific Islanders) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission between 1996 and 2007 at an urban Level I trauma center.


RESULTS
African-American patients were most likely to present in shock with penetrating trauma and receive a massive transfusion. The incidence of ALI/ARDS was similar by race (P = .99). Among patients who developed ALI/ARDS, there was no evidence to support a difference in partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood to fraction of inspired oxygen (Pao(2)/Fio(2)) (P = .33), lung injury score (P = .67), or mortality (P = .78) by race.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite differences in baseline characteristics, the incidence of ALI/ARDS, severity of lung injury, and mortality were similar by race.
Brown
Lisa M
LM
Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco at San Francisco, General Hospital, 94143, USA.
Kallet
Richard H
RH
Matthay
Michael A
MA
Dicker
Rochelle A
RA
D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D014193:Trauma Centers; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*