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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Illustration showing airways and air sacs of the lungs Airways and air sacs of the lungs

The mechanical cause of ARDS is fluid leaked from the smallest blood vessels in the lungs into the tiny air sacs where blood is oxygenated. Normally, a protective membrane keeps this fluid in the vessels. Severe illness or injury, however, can cause inflammation that undermines the membrane's integrity, leading to the fluid leakage of ARDS.

The most common underlying causes of ARDS include:

  • Sepsis. The most common cause of ARDS is sepsis, a serious and widespread infection of the bloodstream.
  • Inhalation of harmful substances. Breathing high concentrations of smoke or chemical fumes can result in ARDS, as can inhaling (aspirating) vomit.
  • Severe pneumonia. Severe cases of pneumonia usually affect all five lobes of the lungs.
  • Head or chest injury. Accidents, such as falls or car crashes, can directly damage the lungs or the portion of the brain that controls breathing.
Risk factors Symptoms
References
  1. What is ARDS? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Ards/Ards_WhatIs.html. Accessed March 4, 2011.
  2. Hudson LD, et al. Acute lung injury/Acute respiratory distress syndrome. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191371208-2/0/1492/0.html#. Accessed March 4, 2011.
  3. Moran GJ, et al. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..X0001-1--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed March 4, 2011.
  4. Siegel MD. Acute respiratory distress syndrome: Prognosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 4, 2011.
  5. Lee WL, et al. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. In: Mason RJ, et al. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192068760-2/0/1288/0.html. Accessed March 4, 2011.
  6. Siegel MD. Acute respiratory distress syndrome: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, pathology and etiology. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 4, 2011.
  7. Hansen-Flaschen J, et al. Acute respiratory distress syndrome: Definition, clinical features and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 7, 2011.
  8. Hopkins RO, et al. Quality of life, emotional abnormalities and cognitive dysfunction in survivors of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome. Clinical Chest Medicine. 2006;27:679.
  9. Siegel MD. Supportive care and oxygenation in acute respiratory distress syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 7, 2011.
  10. Post-ARDS tips. The ARDS Foundation. http://www.ardsusa.org/tips_post_ards.htm. Accessed March 7, 2011.
DS00944 May 7, 2011

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