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Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome [ARDS] is a potentially serious medical condition of the lungs that follows an injury to the lungs that may result from injury, trauma, or drug use and/or abuse.

In Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, there is distress or failure to breathe without mention of Heart Failure.

It can also be called – Shock Lung.

In some cases it is a very severe form of Lung Injury and can be life-threatening.

Inflammation or swelling, tissue damage, decreased functionality of the Respiratory System occurs in individuals with ARDS.

ARDS is a disease that affect the tissue surrounding the lungs – the parenchyma – and it leads to impaired ability for gas exchange (oxygen and carbon dioxide).

Death associated with ARDS is relatively high at around 30%.

The risk of death increases to around 90% when a patient with ARDS also gets an infection that goes into the blood system.

Secondary complications of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome can be alarming.

Risks Factors

–  Shock
–  Infection  (Sepsis)
–  Pneumonia
–  Near-drowning
–  Aspiration of foreign material
–  Burns

Symptoms

–  Difficulty breathing
–  Rapid breathing
–  Respiratory Failure – not easily explained
–  Cough
–  Fatigue
–  Cynosis

Diagnosis

–  Arterial Blood gas
–  Chest X-ray

Treatment

–  Identifying underlying condition
–  Oxygen
–  Tracheal intubations
–  Mechanical ventilation

Other

–  This condition was previously known as Respiratory distress syndrome, or Adult respiratory distress syndrome