RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
In the ICU, the current treatment of persons who
have been rescued from drowning resembles that
of patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Guidelines for ventilation in ARDS
should be followed. However, since the pulmonary
lesion is caused by a temporary and local injury,
patients with pulmonary distress due to a drowning incident tend to recover much faster than patients with ARDS, and late pulmonary sequelae
are uncommon.
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It is usually best not to initiate
weaning from mechanical ventilation for at least
24 hours, even when gas exchange appears to be
adequate (ratio of the partial pressure of arterial
oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen, >250).
The local pulmonary injury may not have resolved
sufficiently, and pulmonary edema may recur,
necessitating reintubation and leading to a prolonged hospital stay and further morbidity.43
There
is very little evidence concerning the value of glucocorticoid therapy for reducing pulmonary injury.
It may have a beneficial effect on bronchospasm
but should be considered only after a trial of bronchodilators has failed.
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