Microvascular reactivity is altered early in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction. The resultant microvascular reactivity can be assessed non-invasively using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and a vascular occlusion test (VOT) and changes have been correlated with severity of organ dysfunction and mortality in other critically ill populations. We used NIRS to study the presence of microcirculatory alterations in patients with ARDS.