ABSTRACT
From the earliest observations of the sepsis phenomenon, it has been evident that respiratory failure is a major manifestation of this pathological condition. In fact, 25 years ago, Clowes and coworkers ( 1968) reported that "life-threatening respiratory insufficiency frequently accompanies extensive infections located in other parts of the body." From this moment to now, respiratory failure during sepsis has been traditionally related to secondary lung injury, defined by Petty and Ashbaug (1971) in the 1970s as the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). While not the sole cause of ARDS, sepsis remains the most common condition precipitating this catastrophic complication, which is associated, in septic patients, with mortality rates as high as 60--80% (Montgomery et al., 1985).
