Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

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ARDS Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of ARDS develop suddenly and include the following:

• Dyspnea (audible, labored breathing, shortness of breath)
• Tachypnea (abnormally rapid breathing)
• Severe hypoxaemia (decreased oxygen concentration in the blood)
• Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries)
• Cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the skin due to poor oxygenation of the blood)
• Presence of abnormal deposits in the lungs (detected by chest x-rays)

Complications

Complications of ARDS include the following:

• Multiorgan failure (or multiple organ dysfunction syndrome): The same inflammatory processes that injure the alveoli and capillary endothelial cells can damage other organs, including the liver, kidney, brain, blood, and immune system.
• Irreversible pulmonary fibrosis (permanent scarring of lung tissue): Pulmonary fibrosis can lead to prolonged mechanical ventilation and lung dysfunction. Fibrosis decreases the abilities of the lungs to expand and oxygen to cross the alveolar-capillary barrier.

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Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Resources

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