PET Imaging in Patients at Risk for Acute Lung Injury (PET-ALI)
Despite decades of research, the mortality in acute lung injury
remains very high and treatment options are very limited. Given
these facts, the best treatment modality may be in prevention of
this lethal syndrome. Historically, imaging has played a crucial
role in understanding ALI. The appearance of chest radiography
is one of the consensus criteria in defining ALI, and commuted
tomography (CT) scans further advanced the understanding of the
pathoanatomy of ALI. While valuable, these imaging modalities
are nonspecific and do not incorporate functional cellular
physiology. PET imaging measures concentrations of radioisotopes
in the body. By embedding in, but not altering molecules, the
natural fate of these tracers can be studied with PET imaging.
Advances in the understanding of ALI include blood flow
distribution, as well as the response to alveolar recruitment
maneuvers and prone positioning. Not all patients who are
receiving mechanical vent