Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Active Duty Service Members: Rare and Lethal - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #Medical Readiness
- #Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
- #Military Medicine
- The study examines ARDS in active duty U.S. military personnel, highlighting its significant mortality and long-term morbidity impacts.
- ARDS incidence was 1.01 per 100,000 person-years, with a 2-fold increase post-COVID (1.55) compared to pre-COVID (0.76).
- The most common cause of ARDS was infection (53%), followed by trauma (16%), with a mean age of 32 years and a mortality rate of 20%.
- Among survivors, 43% were medically separated and failed to return to active duty, with 70% of separations directly due to ARDS or complications.
- ARDS poses risks to military readiness by decreasing workforce, impairing combat capability, and introducing financial burdens, necessitating further studies on management and recovery.