Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, or ARDS, is a condition that causes fluid to leak into your lungs, blocking oxygen from getting to your organs. It is serious, sometimes life-threatening, and can get worse quickly. This article thus intends to provide an overview of the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Causes: Breathing vomit into the lungs (aspiration) Inhaling chemicals Lung transplant Pneumonia Septic shock (infection throughout the body) Trauma Pathophysiology: Injury to the endothelium results in increased capillary permeability and the influx of protein-rich fluid into the alveolar space.
Injury to the alveolar lining cells also promotes pulmonary edema formation. Also, there is a decreased production of surfactant with resultant decreased compliance and alveolar collapse. Cytokines (tumor necrosis factor [TNF], leukotrienes, macrophage inhibitory factor, and numerous…
