Intérêt de la mesure de l'eau pulmonaire extravasculaire au cours du SDRA

Extravascular lung water (EVLW) is defined as the fluid accumulated in the interstitial and alveolar spaces of the lung. The increase in EVLW is a pathophysiological feature of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The transpulmonary dilution methods enable a bedside measurement of EVLW. The reliability of this measurement is now well demonstrated, either for the double thermodye technique or for the single thermodilution technique, which is more easy to perform. The main limitation of those techniques is that they likely underestimate EVLW in ARDS with very heterogeneous pulmonary lesions. Oncoming studies will attempt to test whether using EVLW for managing the fluid balance during ARDS can afford a functional and prognostic benefit.