Supportive care in acute respiratory distress syndrome

Although the central focus of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the pathology within the lung, ARDS is very much a systemic disease. As such, the whole body needs care and support while the disease process within the lung runs its course. The issues of pain management, sedation, fluid balance, nutrition, metabolic and hormonal processes, infection control, and patient positioning are important for any patient in a critical care setting. For patients with ARDS, the required ventilatory support and ARDS-associated systemic inflammation mandate the above supportive measures.