Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Causes

ARDS happens when small blood vessels leak fluid into the small air sacs of the lungs. The fluid in the sacs blocks oxygen from passing into the body. The leaking may be caused by:

• Infection
• Injury
• Swelling

Direct injuries that may lead to ARDS are:

• Pneumonia
• Sepsis of the lungs
• Breathing regurgitated stomach matter
• A bruise of the lung
• Near-drowning
• Breathing smoke or certain chemicals
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Indirect injuries that may lead to ARDS are:

• Sepsis
• Severe injury, such as a heavy blow to the chest
• Burn
• Swelling of the pancreas
• Drug overdose
• A large blood transfusion

Risk Factors

The health problems above raise the risk of ARDS.

Other things that may raise the risk are:

• Smoking
• Lung disease
• Alcohol use disorder

Symptoms

Symptoms may start slowly or all at once. A person may have:

• Problems breathing
• Rapid heartbeat
• Signs of infection, such as fever or chills
• Bluish skin or fingernail color
• Coughing
• Chest pain
• Confusion

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done.

Blood tests will be done to look for:

Pictures will be taken of the chest. This can be done with:

• Chest x-ray
• Echocardiography
• CT scan of chest

Treatment

The underlying cause will be treated.

The goal of treatment is to help a person breathe. This may be done with:

• Mechanical ventilation—a machine moves air in and out of the lungs
• Non-invasive mask mechanical ventilation—a mask delivers air from a ventilator to the lungs
• Oxygen therapy—a mask or tube delivers oxygen through the nose
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)—advanced breathing and heart support (not as common)

Prevention

ARDS cannot be prevented.