Role of inflammatory mediators in the pathophysiology of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Inflammatory response leading to organ dysfunction and failure continues to be the major problem after injury in many clinical conditions such as sepsis, severe burns, acute pancreatitis, haemorrhagic shock, and trauma. In general terms, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is an entirely normal response to injury. Systemic leukocyte activation, however, is a direct consequence of a SIRS and if excessive, can lead to distant organ damage and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). When SIRS leads to MODS and organ failure, the mortality becomes high and can be more than 50%. Acute lung injury that clinically manifests as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a major component of MODS of…

• NU
  National University of Singapore
• NR
  National Research Council of Science and Technology
• NM
  National Medical Research Council
• DS
  Defence Science and Technology Agency - Singapore
• BR
  Biomedical Research Council