Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
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Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
- ARDS Overview
- ARDS Causes
- ARDS Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care for ARDS
- Exams and Tests for ARDS
- ARDS Treatment
- Medical Treatment for ARDS
- Medication for ARDS
- Next Steps
- Follow-up
- Prevention of ARDS
- Outlook
- Support Groups and Counseling
- For More Information About ARDS
- Pictures of ARDS
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
- Read more on Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome from Healthwise
- Viewer Comments: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome - Symptoms
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:
- trauma,
- sepsis (microorganisms growing in a person's
blood),
- drug overdose,
- massive transfusion of blood products,
- acute pancreatitis, or
- aspiration (fluid entering the lungs, especially stomach contents).
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 - Symptoms
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Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Low Blood Pressure Overview
Low blood pressure is a difficult clinical finding for a healthcare provider to address. While high blood pressure is known as the "silent killer," because it is associated with few acute symptoms, hypotension (hypo=low + tension=pressure) may be normal for a patient if it is without symptoms, but can be of great importance if it is associated with abnormal body function. Sometimes low is good, a goal to be achieved in keeping blood pressure under control. Sometimes low is bad because there is not enough pressure to provide blood flow to the organs of the body.
Blood pressure readings have two parts and are expressed as a ratio:
- "Normal"
blood pressure, for example is 120/80 (120 over 80) and measures the pressure
within the arteries of the body.
- Systolic pressure, the upper number, measures the pressure within the arteries when the heart is contracting (systo...
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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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