Incidence, mortality, and predictive factors associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome in multiple trauma patients living in high-altitude areas: a retrospective study in Shigatse.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe complication that can lead to fatalities in multiple trauma patients. Nevertheless, the incidence rate and early prediction of ARDS among multiple trauma patients residing in high-altitude areas remain unknown. Methods: This study included a total of 168 multiple trauma patients who received treatment at Shigatse People's Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2021. The clinical characteristics of the patients and the incidence rate of ARDS were assessed. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were employed to identify potential risk factors for ARDS, and the predictive effects of these risk factors were analyzed. Results: In the high-altitude area, the incidence of ARDS among multiple trauma patients was 37.5% (63/168), with a hospital mortality rate of 16.1% (27/168). Injury Severity Score (ISS) and thoracic injuries were identified as significant predictors for ARDS using the logistic regression model, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.75 and 0.75, respectively. Furthermore, a novel predictive risk score combining ISS and thoracic injuries demonstrated improved predictive ability, achieving an AUC of 0.82. Conclusions: This study presents the incidence of ARDS in multiple trauma patients residing in the Tibetan region, and identifies two critical predictive factors along with a risk score for early prediction of ARDS. These findings have the potential to enhance clinicians' ability to accurately assess the risk of ARDS and proactively prevent its onset.