Updated Guidelines for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) accounts for 10% of patients admitted to the intensive care unit and 23% of patients using mechanical ventilation, with a mortality rate of 45% in severe cases. The perception that patients with ARDS are vulnerable to ventilator-induced lung injury has led to lung-protective ventilation strategies. Accordingly, the American Thoracic Society, the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM), and the Society of Critical Care Medicine announced ARDS mechanical ventilation guidelines in 2017. Since then, based on the results of newly reported research and data accumulated throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the ESICM announced an amendment to the previous guidelines in 2023. The revised ARDS guidelines discuss extending the ARDS definition and its phenotypes that were not mentioned in the previous guidelines. The new guidelines encompass ventilation strategies, including positive end-expiratory pressure and recruitment maneuvers in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. In addition, various oxygenation devices, such as high-flow nasal cannulated oxygen and continuous positive airway pressure in nonmechanically ventilated patients, are introduced. This review discusses new changes in the diagnosis and treatment of ARDS based on the new ESICM guidelines, providing a supportive background and rationale.