Corticosteroid Therapy in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Abstract
The annual incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been estimated at 150000 cases in the United States.1 Although its outcome may have improved in the past 2 decades,2,3 ARDS remains associated with a very high mortality, ranging from 35% to 65% of affected patients.2,4 Severe hypoxemia (ie, an oxygenation ratio of PaO2 to fraction of inspired oxygen [FIO2] of 1 but most fatalities result from associated conditions, especially multiple organ failure and sepsis, and less commonly from intractable respiratory failure.2