The data available to guide clinical management of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome are much more limited for infants and children than for adult patients. This paper reviews the available medical data and the pertinent physiology on the management of pediatric patients with acute lung injury. With the collaboration of multicenter investigation networks, definitive ped...

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common and devastating condition which can affect all adult patients eg, medical, surgical and obstetric patients. It occurs when non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (secondary to acute damage to the alveoli) leads to acute respiratory failure. Although the terms ARDS and ALI are used interchangeably, the American-European Consensus Conference Commit...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether a formula could be derived using oxygen saturation (Spo2) to replace Pao2 that would allow identification of children with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Definitions of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome require arterial blood gases to determine the Pao2/Fio2 ratio of 300 (acute lung injury) and 200 (acute respirat...