Definitions of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Present Recommendations and Challenges

The New Global Definition of ARDS aims toimprove on previous definitions based on contem-porary evidence and clinical practice. Includingpatients on HFNO and using ultrasound allowsfor clinicians' early recognition of the syndrome,inclusion in epidemiologic studies, and enrollmentin clinical trials at an early phase of acute lunginjury. The new definition will also allow patientsfrom resource-limited settings to be diagnosedwith ARDS, facilitating a more accurate estimateof the global incidence of this syndrome. Further-more, this new definition will foster research inseveral unresolved areas.