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Patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an acute diffuse, inflammatory lung injury, leading to increased pulmonary vascular permeability with hypoxemia and bilateral radiographic opacities, associated with decreased lung compliance. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used to support primary or secondary diseases causing respiratory or cardiac failures in newborns, children and adults. Patients with severe ARDS are candidates for ECMO therapy. ECMO is a support modality, not a treatment; it is only beneficial in patients whose primary disease is reversible. ECMO complications-which can lead to mortality, morbidity, long-term disability and reduced quality of life-include surgical and organ bleeding, renal and multiorgan failure and central nervous system problems. The aim of this article was to provide a general overview of ECMO use and outcomes patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung injury resulting from inhalation of chemical products continues to be associated with high morbidity and mortality. Concentrated nitric acids are also extremely corrosive fuming chemical liquids. Fumes of nitric acid (HNO3) and various oxides of nitrogen such as nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) may cause fatal illnesses such as severe pulmonary edema and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) when inhaled. Intensive respiratory management including mechanical ventilation with positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP), inverse ratio ventilation, replacement of surfactant and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), steroids and n-acetylcysteine (NAC) may improve survival. In this case report we present the diagnosis and successful treatment of a 57 years old male patient who developed ARDS following pulmonary edema due to nitric acid fumes inhalation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]