Nitric Oxide for Lung Injury Not Helpful

Nitric oxide may improve oxygenation, but its use in patients with acute lung injury does not improve survival and may cause harm, warns a Canadian study.

Many doctors treat acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome with inhaled nitric oxide, despite no clear supporting evidence for the practice, according to researchers at the University of Toronto.

The analysis of several previous studies, published in the British Medical Journal Online First, examined 12 trials involving 1,237 patients. The researchers found oxygenation improved after 24 hours of therapy but had limited evidence for a prolonged effect. There was no benefit of nitric oxide in saving lives.

What’s more, patients receiving nitric oxide had an increased risk of developing kidney dysfunction, study author Neill K. J. Adhikari said in a statement.