Trial of Steroids in Pediatric Acute Lung Injury/ARDS

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are devastating disorders associated with lung inflammation, low oxygen levels and respiratory failure in children. Prevalence of ALI ranges from 2.2 to 12 per 100,000 children per year. Using these estimates, up to 9,000 children each year will develop ALI/ARDS, which may cause upto 2,000 deaths per year. Currently, there are no specific therapies directed against ARDS/ALI in children. In adult patients, use of steroids early in the course of ARDS appears promising. There are no published clinical trials examining the use of steroids for the treatment of ALI/ARDS in children. Hypothesis: Subjects with ALI/ARDS receiving steroids early in the course of disease (within 72 hours) and longer than 7 days will have improved clinical outcomes as compared to placebo control group as defined by (a) a decreased duration of mechanical ventilation and (b) significantly increased PaO2/FiO2 ratios.