Study of Cold Therapy in ARDS Patients

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a dangerous lung condition with a high death rate. This study is trying to see if cooling the body (called therapeutic hypothermia, TH) can help people with ARDS. Sometimes, patients may shiver during TH, so doctors use special medicine called neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) to stop this from happening. The study compares two groups: one will receive TH and NMBA, and the other will have normal temperature management. The main goal is to see how many days patients can breathe without a machine over 28 days. This trial will last about 3.5 years and aims to enroll 340 patients across 14 hospitals.

• Participants will receive TH and NMBA treatment for 48 hours.
• Eligible patients include those with ARDS due to COVID-19.
• Primary outcome: Number of ventilator-free days in 28 days.