All issues > Volume 35(8); 1992

Case Report

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1992;35(8):1118-1126. Published online August 15, 1992.

2 Cases with Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Infant and Young Child

Hye Jung HJ Joo¹, Im Jae IJ Park¹, Joon Soo JS Lee¹, Soo Young SY Lee¹, Byeung Ju BJ Jeoung¹, Kyu Earn KE Kim¹, Ki Young KY Lee¹, Hyunee He Yim², Soon Won SW Hong², Woo Hee WH Jung²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Pathology, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Adult respiratory distress syndrome has been described as a clinical syndrome of respiratory distress and need for mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure, diffuse pulmonary infiltration on thoracic roentgenogram, impaired pulmonary compliance, decreased lung volumes and capacities, increased alveoloarterial oxygen gradient and hyaline membrane formation. It is the clinical manifestation of injury to the terminal alveolocapillary unit as a result of a variety of direct and indirect pulmonary insults. In spite of mechanical ventilation and intensive care, when the progressive pulmonary infiltration and prologed hypoxemia have been observed, physicians should be aware of the potential for ARDS to develop. We have experienced two cases with ARDS in a 7/12 year-old boy and a 12/12 year-old boy who were admitted to our department of Pediartrics, because of dyspnea and fever. They received mechanical ventilation with PEEP and intensive care, but the pulmonary infiltration and hypoxemia were prolonged and then expired at 13th and 7th hospital day respectively, due to respiratory acidosis and hypoxemia. In these two cases, autopsy findings were compatible with ARDS. A brief review of literatures was made.

Keywords :Adult respiratory distress syndrome, Infancy, Peak inspiratory pressure, Positive endexpiratory pressure