OBJECTIVE:

To identify if there are changes in the stratification of acute respiratory distress syndrome severity at hospitalization and 24 hours later.

MATERIAL AND METHOD:

A retrospective observational study was done describing patients studied over a 4-month period during 2017, who met Berlin criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) of any origin and who re-stratified at 24 hours, with the same scale. The data of inflammatory biomarkers and ventilatory mechanics were collected.

RESULTS:

There were included 17 patients, from which 11 patients (64%) died and 6 (35%) were discharged to home. The initial stratification of patients according to the severity of the hypoxemia (PaO2/FiO2) showed 2 (11%) without ARDS, 3 (17%) mild, 10 (58%) moderate, and 2 (11%) severe. At 24 hours after conventional treatment, gravity stratification (PaO2/FiO2) showed: 9 (52%) without ARDS, 6 (35.2%) with mild hypoxemia, in one (5.8%) moderate and in one (5.8%) severe.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is necessary to stratify at the time of admission and at 24 hours the severity of the ARDS, although no difference was shown in the pattern of inflammatory response through the measurement of serum markers of usual clinical use.