Incidence and mortality of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Background: acute respiratory distress syndrome is an acute multicausal hypoxemic insufficiency that is frequent in the intensive care units and has a high mortality. Objective: to determine the incidence and mortality of acute respiratory distress syndrome in the intensive care unit of Dr. Eduardo Agramonte Pina Teaching Pediatric Hospital in Camaguey. Methods: a descriptive, retrospective, observational study was conducted. The medical histories of the patients admitted in the intensive care unit between December 1993 and December 2003, were reviewed. These patients matched the diagnostic criteria of acute respiratory distress syndrome, according to the American-European consensus of 1994. Results: during the study period, 4438 children were admitted. The 3, 6 % of the patients matched the diagnostic criteria; the 76, 6 % of them because of direct pulmonary problems and the 23, 4 % because of indirect pulmonary problems. The 47, 4 % of the patients were admitted with an oxygenation index lower than 15. The global mortality was of 36, 7 % and the most affected age group was 7-11 years old. Conclusions: it was found that the incidence and mortality of acute respiratory distress syndrome in the intensive care unit of Dr. Eduardo Agramonte Pina Teaching Pediatric Hospital in Camaguey has a parallel behavior to other institutions of similar characteristics. DeSC: RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME, ADULT/ mortality; INTENSIVE CARE; INCIDENCE; CHILD; EPIDEMIOLOGY, DESCRIPTIVE. ______________________________________________________________________________________