A urine test helps predict lung damage

Researchers said: A simple urine test can help predict the survival of patients with severe lung damage in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

According to a report published in the February issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, elevated levels of nitric oxide in the urine are associated with not only improving the survival of patients but also reducing them. the time they use the machine to help breathing and the extent of organ damage.

Dr. Michael Matthay, head of research and professor of medicine and anesthesia at the University of California in San Francisco, adds: 'This is a new finding because we use urine testing instead of review. Blood test. '

Each year about 190,000 Americans suffer from acute respiratory distress syndrome due to complications of dangerous infections, severe injuries and other diseases. About 30-60% of them die from lung damage.

This study included 566 patients enrolled in the National Institute's ARDS Network of Heart, Lungs and Blood.

By the third day of this 3-day study, 62 patients died. The researchers found that all surviving patients had higher levels of nitric oxide than those who had died.

(Photo: Ispub.com)

This relationship is not surprising because nitric oxide is involved in oxygen transport to tissues.

Dr. Matthay said: 'The results of the study marked a new step in the use of urine tests to measure the pathogenesis index in lung damage. Finally, urine tests can also be used along with other indicators to make predictive results in treating patients with ARDS ".

Dr. Mathay said: 'We think more research is needed so that we can measure nitric oxide levels in the blood and urine as well as in the air chamber of the lungs. We want to consider these values ​​in a new study coming to know which patients have a poor prognosis or a good prognosis. '

He said: We are applying for federal funding for the new study.

He said: "A urine test for nitric oxide " itself cannot decide all, but this is a promising biomarker. What our team and others are testing is to add the results of this test to standard clinical evaluations to determine the value of the patient's prognosis. '

Dr Herbert P. Wiedemann, Head of Internal Medicine, Allergy and Active Care at Cleveland Clinic said: 'This finding is quite attractive because it is closely related to increasing the survival of the disease. multiply. This study is only the first step and gives another hypothesis. It facilitates future studies. '

He said: "This test may not affect the treatment of patients with ARDS because of the serious nature of this syndrome, which means ' we often treat patients the same. However, this may be a very useful sign for prognosis. At this point, we do not have good prognosis marks. '

Dr. Wiedemann said: This test is also very valuable because it 'helps us understand the causes of death in ARDS syndrome, and thus helps us study new treatments.'

Linh Anh