NUR 290 Lecture Notes - Lecture 42: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Pulmonary Compliance, Blood Transfusion
Document Summary
It"s a type of respiratory failure that occurs when the capillary membrane that surrounds the alveoli sac becomes damaged, which causes fluid to leak into the alveoli sac. Gas exchange doesn"t occur properly due to many reasons, such as: fluid in the alveoli sac, collapsed alveoli sacs, and a decrease in lung compliance (hence the lungs are becoming less elastic . stiff ). This will lead to oxygen not being able to cross the alveolar capillary membrane to go back in the blood to oxygenate it, which will result in hypoxemia. In turn, the organs of the body will suffer due to this and death can occur if treatment does not happen. In majority cases of ards, the patient will need respiratory assistance via a ventilator with. Quick facts about acute respiratory distress syndrome (ards) It tends to occur in people who are already sick (hospitalized) and develops as a complication.
