title: Prevention of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The paucity of effective therapeutic interventions in patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) combined with overwhelming evidence on the importance of timely implementation of effective therapies to critically ill patients has resulted in a recent shift in ARDS research. Increasingly, efforts are being directed toward early identification of patients at risk with a goal of prevention and early treatment, prior to development of the fully established syndrome. The focus of the present review is on the prevention of ARDS in patients without this condition at the time of their healthcare encounter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary thematic categories presented in the present review article include early identification of patients at risk of developing ARDS, optimization of care delivery and its impact on the incidence of ARDS, pharmacological prevention of ARDS, prevention of postoperative ARDS, and challenges and opportunities with ARDS prevention studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent improvements in clinical care delivery have been associated with a decrease in the incidence of hospital-acquired ARDS. Despite the initial challenges, research in ARDS prevention has become increasingly feasible with several randomized controlled trials on ARDS prevention completed or on the way.
authors.affiliation: aPulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida bAnesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine cPulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Emir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Festic
authors.forename: Daryl J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kor
authors.forename: Ognjen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gajic
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016638:Critical Illness; D006801:Humans; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D005791:Patient Care / Q000379:methods*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents