Respiratory distress in the emergency department of Mohamed V Military Hospital in Rabat: Epidemiological, Etiological, Therapeutic and Prognostic Profile

Acute respiratory distress is a common and life-threatening emergency requiring rapid diagnosis and management. Understanding its clinical patterns is essential to improving patient outcomes.
We conducted a prospective descriptive study over six months (Dec 2023–May 2024), including 89 patients admitted for acute respiratory distress. Data collected included demographics, clinical and paraclinical findings, treatments, and outcomes.
The prevalence of respiratory distress was 12.8% among 695 emergency admissions. The mean age was 69 ±11 years; 65.2% were male. The leading symptoms were dyspnea (100%) and tachypnea (87.7%). Etiologies were predominantly pulmonary (hypoxemic pneumonia 56.2%, pleural effusions 43.8%), followed by cardiogenic causes (pulmonary edema 23.6%). High-concentration oxygen was used in 43.8% of cases, non-invasive ventilation in 34.8%, and invasive ventilation in 12.3%. Overall, 56.2% received empiric antibiotics; 37.1% underwent pleural drainage.
Respiratory distress is frequent in our setting, mainly due to pulmonary and cardiac causes. Non-invasive ventilation played a central role in management. Early identification and targeted therapy are essential to improve prognosis.