Septic pulmonary embolisms as a cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is life treating condition, with intensive general inflammation. Objective: Inflammation can be present with infection or without. Septic embolism, according to our previous experience, is more often multiple, than single. General hypoxia of hall body cause damage of all tissue, and generalinflammationintensifies. A vicious circle was formed and inflammation runs its course in what is very often irrelevant how it was begun.How often pulmonary embolism causes ARDS and what are the main features of this disease, is the goal of the study. Methods: Patients with ARDS, treated in pulmonary intensive care unit were analyzed. Chest X-ray, microbiological analysis of sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage specimen, chest CT scan, blood culture, CRP (mg/dl), deep-dimmer and blood cell count, were performed for all cases. Results: In three years period 53 patients with ARDS were treated. Out of all 19 with septic pulmonary embolism (14 multiple), (CRP 198±28). In only 12 patients origin of venous thrombus was found. Out of all 6 patients have massive non septic embolism (CRP 28±7), 18 heavy pneumonia (CRP 166±28), 4 with interstitial pneumonia (CRP 76±19), 5 with massive TB with caverns (CRP 35±13) and 6 with not well defined cause. Blood culture was positive in 14 cases with septic embolism and in 11 cases with pneumonia. CRP was elevated in all cases but highest was in septic embolism (Mann-Whitney test p=0,024). Conclusion: Septic pulmonary embolism was common cause of ARDS, mostly as multiple, and should be considered even if origin of thrombus was found or not.