What is the primary goal of fluid management in patients with ARDS?

The primary goal of fluid management in patients with ARDS is to avoid fluid overload while ensuring adequate organ perfusion. In ARDS, maintaining a balance in fluid management is crucial; excessive fluid can increase pulmonary edema, worsening respiratory function and impairing oxygenation. Strategic fluid management aims to optimize vascular volume to ensure that vital organs receive sufficient perfusion without contributing to further pulmonary complications.

In this context, it's important to carefully monitor fluid intake and output, using diuretics when necessary to remove excess fluid while still providing enough volume to support sufficiently high cardiac output and perfusion pressure. This approach helps to maintain adequate blood pressure and organ function without exacerbating the patient's respiratory distress or worsening the ARDS condition. Thus, careful fluid management is essential in this population to improve outcomes and facilitate recovery.