ARDS

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Definition Symptoms Causes Risk factors

When to seek medical advice Tests and diagnosis Complications Treatments and drugs

Definition

Acute respiratory distress syndrome, commonly called ARDS, is a severe and often fatal condition that occurs when fluid builds up in the tiny, elastic air sacs in your lungs. This makes breathing difficult and deprives your body of the oxygen it needs to function.

ARDS usually occurs in people who are already critically ill or who have sustained massive injuries. Severe shortness of breath — the main symptom of ARDS — develops suddenly, usually a few hours to a few days after the original disease or trauma.

In addition to receiving treatment for the underlying problem, people with ARDS are given supplemental oxygen or a breathing machine is used to support the lungs. Even so, ARDS is fatal in more than one-third of people who develop it.

Some people who survive ARDS recover completely, though they may continue to need oxygen and other therapies after they leave the hospital, and may not regain full lung function for a year or more. Others have lasting lung damage and in some cases, ongoing cognitive and memory problems.

NEXT:

Symptoms