Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Patients Discharged From a Tertiary Hospital in Taiwan: Long-Term Survival and Prognostic Factors.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) carries significant morbidity and mortality. No previous studies have investigated the long-term outcomes of ARDS patients in Taiwan. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the survival of ARDS patients after discharge from the hospital in Taiwan. METHODS: Medical records from 150 ARDS patients discharged alive from the intensive care unit from January 2004 to June 2009 were reviewed. Survival of these patients was followed for 5 years, and prognostic factors were identified. RESULTS: Cumulative survival rates were 81.4% at 6 months, 79.0% at 1 year, 67.2% at 2 years, and 45.7% at 5 years. Independent prognostic factors influencing both 1- and 5-year survival rates were age, previous lung disease, and disposition after discharge. For 5-year survival, renal disease was also an independent risk factor. DISCUSSION: The mortality rate of ARDS survivors after intensive care unit discharge is still high in Taiwan. Three independent risk factors were found to affect the overall survival of these patients.