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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Expert Rev Respir Med. 2010 Dec;4(6):785–797. doi: 10.1586/ers.10.78

Figure 1. Approach to early identification and management of patients at risk for acute lung injury.

Figure 1

Improved recognition of at-risk patients (‘priming’ events) and risk modifiers (comorbid conditions) via automated surveillance and the Lung Injury Prediction Score, as well as potentiators of lung injury (transfusions of blood products, mechanical ventilation, aspiration, and so on), may allow early interventions to attenuate early injury and prevent the development of ALI. In addition, establishing validated clinical criteria for early but existing ALI in spontaneously breathing patients will provide novel cohorts for future clinical trials of treatments (possibly statins, antiplatelet agents or aerosolized β-agonists) prior to onset of respiratory failure. Initiating treatment earlier in the progression of lung injury may identify a therapeutic window and an opportunity to improve outcomes not attained when treatment is delayed until after the onset of respiratory failure and need for mechanical ventilation. ALI: Acute lung injury; ARDS: Acute respiratory distress syndrome.