Who survives ARDS in your experiences?

[redwinggirlie]

Just want to know your experience with the mortality rate of those with ARDS and what their gender/age was prior to the diagnosis of ARDS.

Thank you all for your answers.

[ddoosier]

22yr Male post MVA. Lungs were crap. As his ARDS advanced, he was placed on a rotating bed to increase perfusion, Oscillator (sp?) then ECHMO. His chance for survival was slim but he pulled through. Truly a miracle. He was a smoker and drug abuser prior to his accident which hindered his recovery. 6months later, he payed us visit. The best part of being a Trauma RN is this sort of outcome and returning the pt to his life and his family.

[NurseguyFL]

I would say about 50% of the cases of ARDS I've seen in critical care don't make it. However, a lot depends on the cause of the condition and complications from other health problems the patient has (i.e. pneumonia, sepsis). I don't know that age or gender has anything much to do with it. I've seen ARDS develop in some younger chronic COPDers and people with MODS (a lot of which was related to something else i.e. septic shock or end-stage AIDS). Its a weird thing though because the doctors never seem to be able to explain why some people with poor prognoses pull out of it with treatment and others who were expected to get better don't.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Okay this is something that I found interesting:

" Finally, in addition to traditional prognostic variables, such as severity of illness and organ failures, the timing of ARDS onset relative to the start of mechanical ventilation and the use of low levels of PEEP or no PEEP may adversely influence outcome in ARDS patients."

Log In Problems

This next article speaks to the use of steroids being contraindicated unless started early in the disease process:

"For patients enrolled at least 14 days after the onset of ARDS, methylprednisolone was associated with significantly increased 60- and 180-day mortality rates."

Log In Problems

I think all are in agreement that ARDS is a potentially terminal diagnosis.

[SaderNurse05, BSN, RN]

Had a 20 yo female who was 5 months pregnant. Started with a UTI that did not respond to meds, ends up with ARDS. She was on a rotating bed. Been a while but she was on a vent that sounded like an air compressor- technical terms eludes me at the moment. She lost the baby but she survived. She cam back later and walked into the unit. Last I heard she is pregnant again.