Incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome and its relation to age.

Purpose: The incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was previously considered to be relatively low, at less than 10 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year, but recent reports suggest a higher incidence, especially in elderly patients. The objective was to determine the incidence and mortality of ARDS in our setting, both overall and by age group.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational study of patients older than 14 years, admitted to the intensive care units of all hospitals in a province of southern Spain (Granada) during a 5-month period in 2001.