Adult respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) is described under various names in the medical literature: post-traumatic pulmonary insufficiency, wet lung. DaNang lung and shock lung etc., and the syndrome has been used to describe a serious and often fatal conditions which may develop in any patient subjected to severe trauma, major surgery or critical illness. ARDS is characterized by increasing intrapulmonary shunting, increasing work of breathing and decreasing lung compliance. There is still desagreement about exact nature of ARDS as well as its care and revention. In ARDS, the use of positive end-expiratory pressure(PEEP) has been widely debated since its introduction by Ashbaugh and Petty in 1969. Its purpose is to increase the lung volume, especially functional residual capacity at end expiration in order to obtain better alveolar expansion and improved pulmonary gas exchange. This report described two cases of ARDS following trauma, and respiratory care problems were reviewed and discussed.