Table I.
Characteristics of included studies.
| Author, year | Group, n | Intervention | Males, n (%) | Age (years) | PEEP (cmH2O) | OI (mmHg) | Main inclusion criteria | (Refs.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernard, 1997 | E, 14 | NAC 210 mg/kg/day i.v. × 10 days | – | 43±6 | 10±1 | 176±23 | Mechanical Ventilation, bilateral CXR infiltrates, OI≤200 mmHg or 225 mmHg if PEEP>10 cmH2O, duration of ARDS <24 h | (24) |
| C, 15 | Placebo | – | 47±4 | 12±2 | 159±19 | |||
| Domenighetti, 1997 | E, 22 | NAC 190 mg/kg/day i.v. × 3 days | 19 (86.4) | 52.1±17.8 | 5.6±3 | 140±49 | AECC definition for ARDS | (25) |
| C, 20 | Placebo | 14 (70.0) | 52.4±17 | 5.4±3 | 133±37 | |||
| Moradi, 2009 | E, 14 | NAC 150 mg/kg bolus, 50 mg/kg/day i.v. × 3 days | 9 (63.4) | 48.4±5.5 | – | 194.5±40.5 | AECC definition for ARDS | (18) |
| C, 13 | 5% dextrose | 8 (61.5) | 49.2±4.5 | – | 139.1±15.3 | |||
| Ortolani, 2000 | E, 12 | NAC 150 mg/kg/day i. v. × 9 days | 6 (50.0) | 57±14 | 10±2 | 168±18 | Mechanical ventilation, bilateral CXR infiltrates, OI≤200 mmHg or 225 mmHg if PEEP>10 cmH2O, duration of ARDS <24 h | (15) |
| C, 12 | 5% dextrose | 7 (58.3) | 55±13 | 12±3 | 160±21 | |||
| Suter, 1994 | E, 32 | NAC 40 mg/kg/day i.v. × 9 days | 24 (75.0) | 46.6±19.7 | – | 255±113 | Risk factor and mild moderate ALI (LIS 0.1–2.5) | (26) |
| C, 29 | Placebo | 23 (79.3) | 48.1±21.9 | – | 248±99 |
E, experimental group; C, control group; NAC, N-acetylcysteine; i.v., intravenously; PEEP, positive end-expiratory pressure; OI, oxygenation index; AECC, American-European Consensus conference; CXR, chest radiograph; ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; LIS, lung injury score.