Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a system disease, which can result in a multiorgan dysfunction. The most serious pulmonary complications of diabetes mellitus are the lower respiratory tract infections developing under immunity dysfunction and under structural and functional pulmonary or extrapulmonary changes.
Noncardiogenic edema can occur as a complication of acute diabetic status such as ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic coma. Immunity dysfunction in diabetic patients seems to have even more complicated consequences according to a previously published study showing lower incidence of ARDS in diabetic patiens with septic shock compared to nondiabetics.
The question is whether the immunity dysfunction, particularly that of polymorphonuclear cells impairing the resistance against infections, does not reduce the risk of ARDS development.