Pharmacological Therapy for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an inflammatory process caused by a variety of direct and indirect injuries to the lungs. Despite improvements in supportive care and advances in ventilator management, mortality in patients with ARDS remains high. Multiple pharmacological interventions have been investigated but have not shown improved survival. Clinical trials using corticosteroids, prostaglandins, nitric oxide, prostacyclin, surfactant, lisofylline, ketoconazole, N-acetylcysteine, and fish oil have been unable to show a statistically significant improvement in patient mortality. As more is understood about the pathophysiology of ARDS, treatment strategies such as increasing alveolar fluid clearance through activation of sodium channels, enhancing repair of alveolar epithelium with growth factors, inhibiting fibrin deposition, blocking proinflammatory transcription factors, preventing the effect of potent vasocontrictors such as endothelin, and using antibodies against key inflammatory cytokines are being explored. This review focuses on the pharmacological treatments studied clinically, proposed reasons for their lack of success, and new concepts emerging in ARDS therapy.