Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Question 1

Also known as

Answer 1

acute lung injury

Question 2

refers to

Answer 2

acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure following a pulmonary or systemic insult

• with no apparent cadiogenic cause of pulmonary oedema.

It occurs about 12–48 hours after the event, often sepsis.

Question 3

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

Answer 3

An atypical pnuemonia due to a unique coronavirus.

Suspect it in person with a fever >38°C + cough + dyspnoea + contact with SARS person or endemic area.

Diagnosis by CT scan and PCR tests.