Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
Information What is ARDS?
for Patients Acute respiratory distress syndrome, or
ARDS, is a very serious lung problem that
may happen when a person is critically ill.
With ARDS, fluid fills the air sacs of both
lungs. This causes the lungs to become
swollen (inflamed). ARDS makes it hard to
breathe. Acute lung injury (ALI) is similar
to ARDS but not as serious as ARDS. ALI
and ARDS can happen after:
• pneumonia
• traumatic injuries, such as car accidents
and severe burns
• an infection carried throughout the body
known as “sepsis”
• shock
• some complicated surgeries
Cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, and other
diseases such as asthma can make ARDS
and ALI worse.
Signs and symptoms of ARDS
It is very hard for oxygen to get into the
bloodstream when the lungs are filled with
fluid. Air sacs filled with fluid may collapse.
This can lead to the following signs and
symptoms:
• difficult and fast breathing
• shortness of breath
• low blood pressure
• fast heart beat
• changes in awareness or difficulty
concentrating
Usually, symptoms of ARDS or ALI begin
within 2 days of the original illness or injury
to the body. ARDS often happens at the
same time other organs fail. When a doctor
thinks a patient has ARDS, he or she may
use these tests:
• chest x-rays to look for a pattern that is
typical with ARDS
• measure blood gases in arteries to check
oxygen and carbon dioxide levels
• blood tests to find out the condition of
other organs
• samples of blood and saliva (sputum) to
look for possible infections
Treatment
The first goal of treatment for ARDS is to
support the failing lungs and other organs.
This gives them time to heal. Treatment
includes giving the lungs more oxygen and
adding helpful pressure to the lungs. In
order to provide this treatment, a breath-
ing tube is placed in the nose or mouth.
Then, the patient is placed on a machine to
help with breathing, called a ventilator. If
the ventilator is needed longer than 1 to 2
weeks, the breathing tube is usually replaced
with a tracheostomy (trake-e-OST-o-mee)
tube. This tube is more comfortable.
At the same time, the original problem that
led to ARDS must be treated. Medicine
may be given to help with comfort and rest.
Medicine may also be given to relax muscles
in the body. All of this will help the lungs
deliver oxygen to the body, save energy, and
continued
 ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (ARDS)

make it easier for the breathing machine to • Step 3: The lungs heal slowly over many
provide support. months. However, the time it takes to
recover is different for each patient.
Some patients may need other medicine
to treat infection, low blood pressure, or ARDS is a serious illness. It can be very hard
inflammation, or to prevent stomach bleed- on family and friends. A person with ARDS
Information may be in intensive care and the hospital for
ing and blood clots.
for Patients a long time. Unfortunately, even with treat-
Food (nutrition) is an important part of ment, ARDS often causes damage to the
the treatment for ARDS. Because a person lungs or other organs that will never heal.
can’t swallow with a breathing tube in Some patients get better quickly. Others have
place, he or she gets nutrition through a a longer, slower recovery period with many
feeding tube. setbacks. Some patients may not recover.

Complications Related UPMC patient education

The increased pressure needed to fill the resources
lungs with air may cause more damage to The following sheet is available at
the already weak lungs. Infection of the http://patienteducation.upmc.com:
lungs, called pneumonia (new-MO-nee-ah),
may develop. The kidneys, liver, brain, • When Someone You Love Is on a Ventilator
heart, blood, and immune systems also may
Additional resources
be affected. Treatment may get compli-
The American Lung Association
cated as several problems are managed at
61 Broadway, 6th Floor
the same time.
New York, NY 10006
Steps to healing and permanent Phone: 1-800-548-8252
effects http://www.lungusa.org
ARDS usually involves 3 steps as it
National Heart, Lung, and
progresses. Blood Institute
• Step 1: Fluid collects in the lungs a few NHLBI Health Information Center
days after a serious illness or injury. PO Box 30105
• Step 2: The body tries to heal from the Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
injury. This stage may last several weeks. Phone: 301-592-8573
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

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