OUTCOME PREDICTION IN ADULT RESPIRATORY-DISTRESS SYNDROME USING DISCRIMINANT-ANALYSIS OF CARDIORESPIRATORY DATA

In order to examine the prognostic value of different cardiopulmonary variables in adult respiratory distress syndrome the data of 30 patien ts with this illness were studied retrospectively. The patients were d ivided into 3 groups: Group A: survivors (9 cases, 40 examinations), G roup B: early stage nonsurvivors (8 cases, 37 examinations), Group C: late stage nonsurvivors (19 cases, 89 examinations). In 6 nonsurvivor patients a few measurements were done in the early and late stage, too . There were highly significant differences between Groups A and C (me an pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary arterial diastolic pressure minus pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, left ventricular stroke work index, systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance, inspired oxygen fr action, arterial oxygen tension per inspired oxygen fraction, mixed ve nous oxygen saturation, pulmonary shunt fraction, and oxygen delivery, but the differences in relation to other groups were less prominent. Using a step-wise discriminant analysis, it was found that the oxygena tion parameters alone determined the outcome correctly in 68-75%. Exte nding the analysis to haemodynamic variables the result improved (72-8 0%). Similar prediction was obtained when parameters potentionally mea surable by noninvasive methods were analysed (69-80%). These results s uggest that it is possible to predict the outcome of ARDS correctly wi thout any invasive monitoring technique.