Interstitial Lung Abnormalities Are Associated with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Interstitial lung abnormalities are specific densities on chest computed tomography (CT) scans that have been identified in research participants without a clinical diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) (1).Interstitial lung abnormalities have been associated with decreased measures of pulmonary function and 6-minute-walk distance, increased respiratory symptoms, and genetic abnormalities, suggesting they may represent an early or mild form of pulmonary fibrosis (1).They have also recently been associated with an increased risk of death, specifically, death from respiratory failure (2).