Background: The aim of this prospective study was to assess whether the presence of septic shock could influence the dose response to inhaled nitric oxide (NO) in NO-responding patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Results: Eight patients with ARDS and without septic shock (PaO 2 = 95 ± 16 mmHg, PEEP = 0, FiO 2 = 1.0), and eight patients with ARDS and septic shock (PaO 2 = 88 ± 11 mmHg, PEEP = 0, FiO 2 = 1.0) receiving exclusively norepinephrine were studied. All responded to 15 ppm inhaled NO with an increase in PaO 2 of at least 40 mmHg, at FiO 2 1.0 and PEEP 10 cmH 2 O. Inspiratory intratracheal NO concentrations were recorded continuously using a fast response time chemiluminescence apparatus. Seven inspiratory NO concentrations were randomly administered: 0.15, 0.45, 1.5, 4.5, 15, 45 and 150 ppm. In both groups, NO induced a dose-dependent decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI), and venous admixture (Q VA /Q T ), and a dosedependent increase in PaO 2 /FiO 2 (P ≤ 0.012). Dose-response of MPAP and PVRI were similar in both groups with a plateau effect at 4.5 ppm. Dose-response of PaO 2 /FiO 2 was influenced by the presence of septic shock. No plateau effect was observed in patients with septic shock and PaO 2 /FiO 2 increased by 173 ± 37% at 150 ppm. In patients without septic shock, an 82 ± 26% increase in PaO 2 / FiO 2 was observed with a plateau effect obtained at 15 ppm. In both groups, dose-response curves demonstrated a marked interindividual variability and in five patients pulmonary vascular effect and improvement in arterial oxygenation were dissociated. Conclusion: For similar NOinduced decreases in MPAP and PVRI in both groups, the increase in arterial oxygenation was more marked in patients with septic shock.