Table 1.

Keeping and abandoning ARDS: advantages and disadvatages

	Keep and modify ARDS definition	Abandon ARDS definition
Advantages	Easy patient categorization and labeling Facilitated enrollment in RCTs Standardized guidance of treatment	Recognizes need to personalize therapy Focuses on patient-relevant characteristics Encourages best responses to ∆’s over time
Drawbacks	Non-uniformity encourages inappropriate Rx Promotes RCT enrollment of unqualified Pts May inform misleading treatment guidelines	Universal standards for Rx difficult to establish Precision inhibits RCT design and enrollment Often requires mastery of bedside physiology

RCT randomized clinical trial, ∆ change, Rx treatment, Pts patients