Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome(ARDS) is a buildup of fluid in the tiny air sacs in your lungs called alveoli. This means less oxygen can get to your organs, which is very dangerous. ARDS occurs when there is significant trauma that either affects the lungs directly or indirectly. Some examples of trauma include sepsis (a blood infection), breathing in smoke from a house fire, near-drowning, severe pneumonia, major trauma, and shock from any cause. Your body responds to this trauma with an inflammatory reaction that releases numerous natural molecules into the bloodstream. Normally, this inflammatory reaction would be protective and help you fight infection or heal from an injury. However, in some people, these inflammatory molecules lead the smallest blood vessels in the lungs to leak fluid. Fluid leaves these small vessels and goes into the alveoli. The alveoli fill with this fluid making it difficult for oxygen to get into the bloodstream.