Acute Respiratory Failure During Pneumonia Induced by Sendai Virus

Although there is no universal agreement on the criteria for the diagnosis of the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the syndrome is characterized by distinct clinical and pathophysiological features (Ashbaugh et al., 1967; Petty and Ashbaugh 1971). ARDS can be the outcome of a number of disorders including shock of any etiology, infectious causes, trauma, drug overdose and many others (Hopewell and Murray, 1977). During the past 20 years little has changed in the possibilities for the treatment of ARDS and the mortality rate is still extremely high (50 - 70%) (Shale, 1987).