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Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
(ARDS)

ARDS Overview

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by the development of sudden breathlessness within hours to days of an inciting event. Inciting events include:

In many cases, the initial event is obvious, but, in others (such as drug overdose) the underlying cause may not be so easy to identify. ARDS typically develops within 12-48 hours after the inciting event, although, in rare instances, it may take up to a few days. Persons developing ARDS are critically ill, often with multisystem organ failure. It is a life-threatening condition; therefore, hospitalization is required for prompt management.

ARDS is associated with severe and diffuse injury to the alveolar-capillary membrane (the air sacs and small blood vessels) of the lungs. Fluid accumulates in some alveoli of the lungs, while some other alveoli collapse. This alveolar damage impedes the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, which leads to a reduced concentration of oxygen in the blood. Low levels of oxygen in the blood cause damage to other vital organs of the body such as the kidneys.

ARDS occurs in children as well as adults. The estimated annual frequency of ARDS is reported as 75 cases per 100,000 population. Mortality (death) rates have been reported to be in the range of 30%-40%, but mortality increases with advancing age.



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Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome »

Since World War I, it has been recognized that some patients with nonthoracic injuries, severe pancreatitis, massive transfusion, sepsis, and other conditions may develop respiratory distress, diffuse lung infiltrates, and respiratory failure sometimes after a delay of hours to days.

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