Increased urinary loss of uric acid in adults with acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesis of increased urinary excretion of uric acid as an indicator of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation in adult patients with acute respiratory failure, and to look for a correlation to the clinical outcome.

STUDY

DESIGN

Prospectively 31 patients with acute respiratory failure were studied. The patients were divided into two groups according to the clinical outcome: the need for solely supplemental oxygen (group 1), death or mechanical ventilation (group 2).

METHODS

Uric acid was determined by spectrophotometry.

RESULTS

Mean uric acid excretion was 39 mumol/kg (range, 7 to 92 mumol/kg) body weight/per 24 h in group 1 (16 patients) compared with 65 mumol/kg/24 h (range, 8 to 253 mumol/kg/24 h) in group 2 (13 patients were mechanically ventilated, and two patients died). The difference was highly significant (p less than 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Increased amount of urinary uric acid was related to the severity of acute respiratory failure in adults.