Learn About Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

What is the definition of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening lung condition that prevents enough oxygen from getting to the lungs and into the blood. Infants can also have respiratory distress syndrome.

What are the alternative names for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?

Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema; Increased-permeability pulmonary edema; ARDS; Acute lung injury

What are the causes of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?

ARDS can be caused by any major direct or indirect injury to the lung. Common causes include:

  • Breathing vomit into the lungs (aspiration)
  • Inhaling chemicals
  • Lung transplant
  • Pneumonia, including COVID-19 infection
  • Septic shock (infection throughout the body)
  • Transfusions (multiple)
  • Trauma

Depending on the amount of oxygen in the blood and during breathing, the severity of ARDS is classified as:

  • Mild
  • Moderate
  • Severe

ARDS leads to a buildup of fluid in the air sacs (alveoli). This fluid prevents enough oxygen from passing into the bloodstream.

The fluid buildup also makes the lungs heavy and stiff. This decreases the lungs' ability to expand. The level of oxygen in the blood can stay dangerously low, even if the person receives oxygen from a breathing machine (ventilator) through a breathing tube (endotracheal tube).

ARDS often occurs along with the failure of other organ systems, such as the heart, liver or kidneys. Cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol use may be risk factors for its development.

What are the symptoms of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?

Symptoms usually develop within 24 to 48 hours of the injury or illness. Often, people with ARDS are so sick they cannot report symptoms. Symptoms can include any of the following:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Low blood pressure and organ failure
  • Rapid breathing
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What are the current treatments for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?

ARDS often needs to be treated in an intensive care unit (ICU).

The goal of treatment is to provide breathing support and treat the cause of ARDS. This may involve medicines to treat infections, reduce inflammation, and remove fluid from the lungs.

A ventilator is used to deliver high doses of oxygen and positive pressure to the damaged lungs. People often need to be deeply sedated with medicines. During treatment, your health care providers make every effort to protect your lungs from further damage. Certain ways of using the ventilator can protect your lungs better and improve chances of recovery. Treatment is mainly supportive until the lungs recover.

Sometimes, a treatment called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is done. During ECMO, blood is filtered through a machine to provide oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.

Who are the top Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Local Doctors?
Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine

Affiliated Hospitalists Plc

16640 N 38th St, Ridgecrest Healthcare, 
Phoenix, AZ 
 17.5 mi
Accepting New Patients

Christopher King is an Internal Medicine provider in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. King has been practicing medicine for over 14 years and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). His top areas of expertise are Interstitial Lung Disease, Acute Interstitial Pneumonia, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Lung Transplant, and Endoscopy. Dr. King is currently accepting new patients.

Pulmonary Medicine | Intensive Care Medicine
Pulmonary Medicine | Intensive Care Medicine

Pulmonary Associates PA

3811 E Bell Rd, Suite 107, 
Phoenix, AZ 
 17.4 mi
Accepting New Patients
Offers Telehealth

Brian Porvin is a Pulmonary Medicine specialist and an Intensive Care Medicine provider in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Porvin and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). His top areas of expertise are Pneumonia, Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia, Atypical Pneumonia, Coccidioidomycosis, and Advanced Bronchoscopy. Dr. Porvin is currently accepting new patients.

 
 
 
 
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Intensive Care Medicine | Pulmonary Medicine
Intensive Care Medicine | Pulmonary Medicine

Mayo Clinic Arizona

5777 E Mayo Blvd, Mayo Clinic Hospital, 
Phoenix, AZ 
 17.6 mi

Aaron Pulsipher is an Intensive Care Medicine specialist and a Pulmonary Medicine provider in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Pulsipher and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). His top area of expertise is Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

What are the support groups for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?

Many family members of people with ARDS are under extreme stress. They can often relieve this stress by joining support groups where members share common experiences and problems.

What is the outlook (prognosis) for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?

About one third of people with ARDS die of the disease. Those who live often get back most of their normal lung function, but many people have permanent (usually mild) lung damage.

Many people who survive ARDS have memory loss or other quality-of-life problems after they recover. This is due to brain damage that occurred when the lungs were not working properly and the brain was not getting enough oxygen. Some people can also have post-traumatic stress after surviving ARDS.

What are the possible complications of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?

Problems that may result from ARDS or its treatment include:

  • Failure of many organ systems
  • Lung damage, such as a collapsed lung (also called pneumothorax) due to injury from the breathing machine needed to treat the disease
  • Pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lung)
  • Ventilator-associated pneumonia
When should I contact a medical professional for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?

ARDS most often occurs during another illness, for which the person is already in the hospital. In some cases, a healthy person has severe pneumonia that gets worse and becomes ARDS. If you have trouble breathing, call your local emergency number (such as 911) or go to the emergency room.

What are the latest Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Clinical Trials?
A Prospective, Non-interventional, Observational Clinical Validation Study to Analytically Validate the A&M Breathalyzer PROTECT Kiosk Breath Capture System.

Summary: The primary objective of this effort will be to optimize and operationalize innovative passive surveillance systems and in parallel, the effort will identify, evaluate, and transition groundbreaking new technologies in diagnostics for operationalization. To meet the objective and execute the deliverables for this program of effort, the A\&M Breathalyzer PROTECT Kiosk will be tested, modified and v...

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Physiologic Effects of Two Non-invasive Respiratory Support Therapies (continuous Positive Airway Pressure Vs High Flow Nasal Oxygenation) in Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Summary: The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) consists on a lack of breath due to fluid overload in the lungs that is not produced by a heart desease. Some people with this condition may need to be intubated and connected to invasive mechanical ventilation, but less severe cases may need supplementary oxygen that can be delivered with non-invasive devices, such as CPAP (continuous positive airway...

Who are the sources who wrote this article ?

Published Date: November 25, 2023
Published By: Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, MHS, Paul F. Harron, Jr. Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

What are the references for this article ?

Binnie A, Herridge MS, Lee WL. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 134.

Matthay MA, Ware LB. Acute respiratory failure. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 90.

Seigel TA, Johnson NJ. Mechanical ventilation and noninvasive ventilatory support. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 2.