2.  Maybe a reaction to a
long-term debilitating
disease, such as COPD
or to an emergency
situation such as
anaphylactic response
to medication
 Can be the result of
other disease processes
including obstructive
conditions, such as
asthma, chronic
bronchitis, and
emphysema,
pneumonia, and acute
pulmonary edema

3.  Acute Anxiety with gasping breaths
 Cyanosis
 Failure of the chest to rise and fall
 Noisy Breathing
 Fever
 Chills
 Headache
 Muscle pain/weakness

4.  Cigarette smoking
 Chronic Lung Disease
 Over the age of 65

5.  ARDS is a form of lung
failure, life-threatening lung
condition, can occur in
very ill or severely injured
people
 Not a specific disease
 Developed over the age of
1
 Starts in the tiny blood
vessels in the lungs, these
vessels leak fluid into the
lung sacs and decreases
the ability of the lungs to
move oxygen into the
body.

6. •Various Treatment Options
•Genetic Problems/Ethnic
Differences
•Diagnosis

7.  Treating the underlying cause or injury
 Providing support until the lungs heal:
› Mechanical ventilation: a machine to help
you breathe through a tube placed in the
mouth or nose or through an opening
created in the neck
› Monitoring blood chemistry and fluid levels
› Oxygen via a face mask or nasal prong

8.  African Americans
› 2005-African American
infants had a RDS
incidence rate of 4.7
per 1,000 compared
with 3.9 per 1,000 for
Caucasian.
› African Americans had
the second highest
incidence rate of all
racial/ethnic groups
after American
Indians/Alaska Natives
 Hispanics
› 2007-124 Hispanic infants
died from RDS, an infant
mortality rate of 11.7 per
100,000. Hispanic mortality
rates for respiratory distress
syndrome were lower than
that of Whites (13.9 per
100,00) and the general
population (17.0 per
100,000). RDS ranked the
tenth leading cause of
death for Hispanic infants
under the age of 1.

9.  In 2005, 561 Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders were
affected by respiratory distress syndrome.
 Asian Americans had the second lowest incidence
rate, after Hispanics, compared with all other
racial/ethnic groups in the United States (2.4 per
1,000 and 1.8 per 1,000,respectively).16
 Reliable incidence and mortality figures for RDS are
not available for Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders

10.  In 2005, 236 American Indians/Alaska
Natives were affected by respiratory distress
syndrome. American Indians/Alaska Natives
had the highest incidence rate of RDS (5.3
per 1,000) of all other racial/racial/ethnic
groups in the United States. The national
incidence rate of RDS(3.8 per 1,000) was
much lower than for American
Indians/Alaska Natives.
 Reliable incidence and mortality figures for
RDS are not available for

11.  Doctors may suspect ARDS when:
› A person suffering from severe infection
or injury develops acute, severe
breathing problems
› A chest x-ray shows fluid in the air sacs of
both lungs
› Blood tests show a dangerously low level
of oxygen in the blood
› Other conditions that could cause
breathing problems have been ruled out

12.  The doctor will ask about symptoms and medical history. A physical exam
will be done. People who develop ARDS may be too sick to complain of
symptoms. If a patient shows signs of developing ARDS, tests may include
the following:
› Blood pressure check
› Blood tests to look for oxygen levels, evidence of infection (complete
blood count, viral and bacterial cultures) and markers of heart failure
› Chest x-ray
› Swabs from nose and throat for identifying viruses
› Occasionally, an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound), to rule out
congestive heart failure
› Pulmonary artery catheterization to aid in diagnostic work-up
› Bronchoscope to analyze airways. A laboratory examination may
indicate presence of certain viruses or cancer cells
› Open lung biopsy is reserved for cases when diagnosis is difficult to
establish