Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Specialists in Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra

What is Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome?

Acute respiratory distress syndrome, commonly abbreviated ARDS, is a severe, life-threatening lung condition in which widespread inflammation causes fluid to leak into the air sacs of the lungs, severely impairing the lungs' ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. It typically develops rapidly, within hours to days, following a serious illness or injury such as severe pneumonia, sepsis, major trauma, or aspiration of stomach contents, and represents the lungs' extreme inflammatory response to these triggers rather than a primary lung disease itself. Patients with ARDS often require mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit to support breathing while the underlying cause is treated and the lungs are given time to heal. Despite modern treatment advances, ARDS carries a significant risk of death and long-term complications in survivors.

Causes of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

ARDS develops when a triggering illness or injury causes widespread inflammation that damages the delicate barrier between the lungs' air sacs and blood vessels, allowing fluid to leak into the air spaces and impair oxygen exchange. Common triggers include severe pneumonia, sepsis from infection anywhere in the body, aspiration of vomit or stomach contents into the lungs, major trauma, and near-drowning. Certain risk factors, including chronic alcohol use, obesity, and pre-existing lung disease, increase the likelihood of developing ARDS when a triggering illness occurs.

Symptoms of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

severe shortness of breath, rapid, labored breathing, low blood oxygen levels despite supplemental oxygen, bluish discoloration of lips or fingertips, rapid heart rate, confusion or fatigue from low oxygen, excessive coughing, chest discomfort

Treatment & Types of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Treatment centers on supportive care in an intensive care unit, most critically mechanical ventilation using carefully calibrated low-pressure, protective ventilation strategies designed to support oxygenation while minimizing further lung injury. Positioning patients on their stomach, known as prone positioning, has been shown to significantly improve oxygenation in moderate to severe cases. Treating the underlying trigger, such as administering antibiotics for infection or source control for sepsis, alongside careful fluid management, is essential alongside respiratory support, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation may be used in the most severe cases when ventilation alone is insufficient.

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