Publication:

Study of pulmonary functions with DLco in acute respiratory distress syndrome/ acute lung injury syndrome

Background The objective of this is to study the lung functions with DLco in ARDS/ALI survivors; to study and analyse the lung functions in different diseases causing ARDS/ ALI survivors and to analyse the effect of treatment strategies on lung functions with DLco in survivors.

Methods All patients who survived ARDS/ALI illness from January 2008 to July 2009 are selected and follow up for pulmonary function at discharge, 3 months and 6 months were performed post illness were recorded and compared.

Results In the study period, 37 cases were enrolled in the prospective cohort study, out of which 9(24.3%) were suffering from ALI according to American European Consensus definition. There was varied infections etiology causing ARDS/ ALI. Pulmonary function test at discharge were showing normal flow rates and volumes (94.6%), mild restriction in some cases (8.4%) as the patients included in the study does not have any past respiratory illness out of 37(100%) patients of ARDS/ALI discharged from Hospital 21(56.8%) had low DLco and 16 (43.2%) had normal DLco.

Conclusions Diffusion defect is found to be more common in the patients who had mixed infections than the patients who had single infection. There was no effect of steroids on the outcome of the patients in terms of diffusion defect.