Respiratory failure & ventilation
Is postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) different from medical ARDS?
Main finding · 90-day mortalityResult — go to the resultAdjusted hazard ratio 0.68 95% CI 0.56–0.83Authors' conclusion
Postoperative ARDS differs from medical ARDS in its early clinical trajectory, outcomes, and prognostic determinants.
Study context
- Population
- Consecutive intubated adults fulfilling the ARDS New Global Definition, tertiary ICU, 2003–2023
- Participants
- 1,077 participants
- Exposure
- Postoperative vs medical ARDS
- Postoperative ARDSn = 455
- Outcome
- 90-day mortality
- Follow-up
- 90 days
Methodological detailsprospectively collected data, single-centre tertiary ICU, multivariable Cox analysis
- Prospectively collected data
- Single-centre tertiary ICU
- Multivariable Cox analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Adjusted hazard ratio
0.68
95% CI 0.56–0.83
P < 0.001
By group
Postoperative ARDS vs Medical ARDS
aHR 0.68 (95% CI 0.56–0.83); P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| Early ARDS trajectory · day 3More favorable in postoperative ARDS | P = 0.03 |
Mortality risk factors in postoperative ARDS (subgroup)
- Non-respiratory SOFA score, aHR
- 1.10 (95%CI 1.05-1.15)
- Bicarbonate per 5mmol/L, aHR
- 0.81 (95%CI 0.69-0.96)
- Esophageal vs lower abdominal surgery, aHR
- 0.41 (95%CI 0.24-0.70)
- Upper abdominal vs lower abdominal surgery, aHR
- 0.64 (95%CI 0.46-0.91)
- No marker of respiratory failure independently associated with mortality
Mortality risk factors in medical ARDS (subgroup)
- PaO2/FiO2 per 50mmHg, aHR
- 0.88 (95%CI 0.81-0.96)
- Driving pressure per 5cmH2O, aHR
- 1.13 (95%CI 1.01-1.27)
- Extrapulmonary organ dysfunction independently associated with mortality
Original publication
Is postoperative ARDS different from medical ARDS? Crit Care. Published 4 June 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →