Abstract
A 53-year-old male who was being treated for hypertension, diabetes mellitus and alcoholic liver dysfunction at another hospital, was found with his face immersed in a bathtub after drinking alcohol. When he was transferred to our hospital by ambulance, he had disturbance of consciousness and respiratory failure. His condition gradually improved after admission to our hospital. However, he had a fever and his respiratory condition worsened on the 6th day. We diagnosed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to secondary drowning, and treated him with intensive care including the administration of sivelestat sodium hydrate and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). These treatments were effective and he was extubated on the 9th day. He was discharged on the 40th day. Sivelestat sodium hydrate was effective in a patient with ARDS based on drowning, and HFOV improved oxygenation in the patient with ARDS.
