Sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is one of the organ failures that occur in patients with sepsis syndrome. Our understanding of the pathophysiology of ARDS and sepsis is rapidly progressing, and the new discovers in the pathophysiology of ARDS and sepsis can be used to guide the direction of future research of sepsis-related ARDS. Recently, a new definition of ARDS, the Berlin Definition, was published to replace the description of ARDS defined in 1994 by the American-European Consensus Conference (AECC). As such. The Berlin Definition should be used to re-evaluate past ARDS investigations. Furthermore, in 2012 a new edition of the survival sepsis campaign guidelines (SCCG) was published taking into account new findings in the field. Therefore, a new investigation into the pathophysiology of sepsis-related ARDS following these updated definitions and guidelines could be a new mileston in the practice of critical care.