ARDS

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Overview


Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is sudden, life-threatening lung failure. ARDS inflames the alveoli, causing them to fill with liquid and collapse. Once the alveoli collapse, gas exchange ceases, and the body becomes starved of oxygen. ARDS requires treatment with mechanical ventilation or some other form of assisted breathing.


ARDS is a syndrome, not a specific disease. A variety of underlying conditions, from blood-borne infections to major trauma, can cause...Read the full article