Cancer Is an Independent Risk Factor for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Critically Ill Patients: A Single...

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Oncology
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a major cause of respiratory failure in intensive care units (ICUs), leading to high morbidity and mortality.
• ARDS often arises from systemic inflammation, a condition frequently associated with cancer.
• The independent role of cancer as a risk factor for ARDS has not been established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether critically ill cancer patients admitted to the ICU have an increased risk of developing ARDS.
• To determine if cancer is an independent risk factor for ARDS diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving critically ill patients admitted between July 2017 and December 2018.
• The association between malignancy and ARDS diagnosis was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.
• Covariables were pre-selected based on a directed acyclic graph.

Main Results:

• The study identified 412 ARDS cases, with 166 patients having active cancer.
• Cancer was associated with an increased risk of ARDS (OR 1.55, P < 0.001), an association that remained significant after adjustment (OR 1.57, P = 0.004).
• Hematologic malignancies increased ARDS odds (OR 1.81), while non-metastatic solid tumors showed a negative association (OR 0.51). Cancer patients with ARDS had higher ICU and hospital mortality.

Conclusions:

• Cancer is an independent risk factor for ARDS in critically ill patients.
• This study is the first to report an independent association between cancer and ARDS in the ICU setting.
• Cancer patients with ARDS experienced significantly higher mortality rates.