Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Patients Discharged From a Tertiary Hospital in Taiwan: Long-Term Survival and Prognostic Factors.
BACKGROUND
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) carries significant morbidity and mortality. No previous studies have investigated the long-term outcomes of ARDS patients in Taiwan.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the survival of ARDS patients after discharge from the hospital in Taiwan.


METHODS
Medical records from 150 ARDS patients discharged alive from the intensive care unit from January 2004 to June 2009 were reviewed. Survival of these patients was followed for 5 years, and prognostic factors were identified.


RESULTS
Cumulative survival rates were 81.4% at 6 months, 79.0% at 1 year, 67.2% at 2 years, and 45.7% at 5 years. Independent prognostic factors influencing both 1- and 5-year survival rates were age, previous lung disease, and disposition after discharge. For 5-year survival, renal disease was also an independent risk factor.


CONCLUSIONS
The mortality rate of ARDS survivors after intensive care unit discharge is still high in Taiwan. Three independent risk factors were found to affect the overall survival of these patients.
Hui-Chuan Chen, RRT, is Registered Respiratory Therapist; and Huey-Dong Wu, MD, is Doctor of Medicine, Department of Integrated Diagno-Therapeutics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, R.O.C. Hsiang-Wen Liu, MD, is Chief Resident, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, R.O.C. Hong-Jer Chang, PhD, is Assistant Professor; and Ming-Der Lee, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of Long-Term Care, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei City, R.O.C. Pei-Yu Huang, RRT, is Registered Respiratory Therapist, Department of Integrated Diagno-Therapeutics National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, R.O.C. Ping-Hung Kuo, MD, is Doctor of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, R.O.C.
Hui-Chuan
HC
Chen
Huey-Dong
HD
Wu
Hsiang-Wen
HW
Liu
Hong-Jer
HJ
Chang
Ming-Der
MD
Lee
Pei-Yu
PY
Huang
Ping-Hung
PH
Kuo
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers