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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Surfactant Depletion Combined with Injurious Ventilation Results in a Reproducible Model of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
Published on: April 7, 2021
['Acute respiratory distress syndrome' (ARDS) as a serious complication of influenza]
Pieter L A Fraaij1, Robert-Jan Houmes, Vincent M Geukers
1Erasmus MC-Sophia, Afd. Kinder-intensive Care, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. p.fraaij@erasmusmc.nl
Insights
Severe swine flu (H1N1) caused acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in three children. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) saved two patients, but one died due to disease severity and transfer limitations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Influenza A (H1N1), or swine flu, can lead to severe respiratory complications.
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition requiring intensive care.
Abstract:
'Acute respiratory distress syndrome' (ARDS) developed as a serious complication of an infection with the influenza virus A (H1N1) ('swine flu') in 3 children: a 15-year-old girl, a 6-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl. The latter two patients also suffered from septic shock. Intensive ICU treatment, including mechanical ventilation, did not lead to recovery. The first two patients eventually recovered following treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), but the third patient's condition was too unstable for transfer to an ECMO centre. This patient died.
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