Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2007
Meta AnalysisEarly elevation of plasma von Willebrand factor antigen in pediatric acute lung injury is associated with an increased risk of death and prolonged mechanical ventilation.
Von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF-Ag) is a marker of pulmonary and systemic endothelial activation and injury. Adult studies indicate that patients with plasma vWF-Ag levels > or = 450% of control early in the course of acute lung injury (ALI) have an increased risk of death. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether vWF-Ag is elevated in the early phase of ALI in children and whether the magnitude of the increase was predictive of two important outcomes: mortality or duration of mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Early injury to the systemic and pulmonary endothelium, as measured by plasma vWF-Ag levels, is associated with an increased risk of death and prolonged mechanical ventilation in pediatric patients with ALI.