Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

The signs and symptoms of ARDS can vary in intensity, depending on its cause and severity. They include:

  • Severe shortness of breath
  • Labored and unusually rapid breathing
  • Low blood pressure
  • Confusion and extreme tiredness

When to see a doctor
ARDS usually follows a major illness or injury, and most people who are affected are already hospitalized.

Causes Definition
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

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger