Timing of ARDS Resolution (TARU): A Pragmatic Clinical Assessment of ARDS Resolution in the ICU

Purpose: Lack of a pragmatic outcome measures for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) resolution is a barrier to meaningful interventional trials of novel treatments. We evaluated a pragmatic, electronic health record (EHR)-based approach toward the clinical assessment of a novel outcome measure: ICU ARDS resolution. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study evaluating adult patients with moderate–severe ARDS admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, from January 2001 through December 2010. We compared the association of ICU ARDS resolution vs non-resolution with mortality. ICU ARDS resolution was defined as improvement in P/F > 200 for at least 48 h or (if arterial blood gas unavailable) SpO₂:FiO₂ (S/F) > 235, or discharge prior to 48 h from first P/F > 200 without subsequent decline in P/F, as documented in EHR. Results: Of the 254 patients included, ICU ARDS resolution was achieved in 179 (70%). Hospital mortality was lower in patients who met ICU ARDS resolution criteria as compared to those who did not (23% vs. 41%, p < 0.01). After adjusting for age, gender, and illness severity, the patients who met ICU ARDS resolution criteria had lower odds of hospital mortality [odds ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.25–0.86; p = 0.015]. Conclusion: The electronic health record-based pragmatic measure of ICU ARDS resolution is associated with patient outcomes and may serve as an intermediate outcome assessing novel mechanistic treatments.