Treatment of ARDS

Improved understanding of the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI)/ARDS has led to important advances in the treatment of ALI/ARDS, particularly in the area of ventilator-associated lung injury. Standard supportive care fo r ALI/ARDS should now include a protective ventilatory strategy ninth low t idal volume ventilation by the protocol developed by the National Institute s of Health ARDS Network. Further refinements of the protocol for mechanica l ventilation hill occur as current and future clinical trials are complete d. In addition, novel modes of mechanical ventilation are being studied and may augment standard therapy in the future. Although results of anti-infla mmatory strategies have been disappointing in clinical trials, further tria ls are underway to test the efficacy of late corticosteroids and other appr oaches to modulation of inflammation in ALI/ARDS.