Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Adult (acute) respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the rapid onset of progressive malfunction of the lungs, especially with regard to the ability to take in oxygen, usually associated with the malfunction of other organs. The condition is associated with extensive pulmonary inflammation and small blood vessel injury in all affected organs. ARDS has a fatality rate of approximately 50 despite supportive therapy, including assisted respiration. It is difficult to estimate the incidence of ARDS because it …

…hallmark of ARDS pathologically are these glassy pink membranes that line the insides of alveoli. • The mortality rate for ARDS may be as high as this figure. • The chest X-ray in ARDS can be described best by this term. • Some therapies may inherently aggravate ARDS which is what makes this manifestation of ARDS, the most difficult to manage. • The stiff lungs of ARDS are produced initially by these two related events