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Adult respiratory distress syndrome

(Science: chest medicine, syndrome) a clinical syndrome that includes pulmonary insufficiency. It is a descriptive term that is applied to a variety of diffuse infiltrative processes in the lung.

manifestations include severe shortness of breath, rapid breathing and arterial hypoxaemia (low oxygen). Chest x-ray shows bilateral diffuse infiltrates.

treatment most often includes mechanical respiratory support. Causes include toxic gas (chlorine, NO2, smoke) exposure, severe metabolic derangement, gastric acid aspiration, pancreatitis, sepsis and trauma.

Acronym: ards