Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Title : Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (Student Name (Course Name and Code Number (Tutors ' Name (Institution

4th May , 2008

Definition

ARDS definition has over time changed , in the 1960 it was called a High Output Respiratory Failure in which it described a failure that was characterized by inability in provision of oxygen and extraction of the carbon dioxide . Other names that are used to describe this syndrome are adult hyaline membrane disease , congestive atelectasis , and adult respiratory insufficiency syndrome . The word ARDS is given to patients with Pulmonary edema , clinical evidence of

respiratory distress hypoxemia , hemodynamic pressure 18 mm Hg , and thoracici static 55 mm Hg

Other methods include minimization of accumulated pulmonary edema adequate nutritional support and preventing , diagnosing and the therapy of infections . New methods that are under development include monoclonal antibodies , inhibation of TNF , pentoxifylline and surfactant (James 2006 , pp . 45 - 60

Prognosis

The mortality rate of ARDS on various studies are between fifty and seventy percent . There is no statistical difference that has been demonstrated in the different outcomes since 1971 , even though there is medical technological development . This means that better supportive care has had no impact on survival of the ARDS patients

The mortality of these patients is usually related to multiple organ failure rather than what is expected : pulmonary dysfunction . Those patients who survive ARDS manifestation , surprisingly have minimal long term impairment of the lung function . Mostly these patients have mild restrictive impairment and sometimes gas exchange deficit , and in rare scenarios exhibit partially reversible airway obstruction . On the other hand , long term abnormalities may occur in those patients who have been treated for prolonged periods with oxygen supplementation greater than the threshold of 0 .5 (Peter 2005 , pp . 123 - 134

Conclusions

In ARDS , free radicals , direct toxins , cytokines , and the charged particles , all of them work on certain specific components of the alveolar capillary cells which results in altered permeability . Much more work and research is needed to unravel the details and particulars of the cellular mechanism of the normal and altered permeability . When this new knowledge is incorporated , it will lead to new early diagnostic and specific therapeutic approaches that are suitable in different approaches by the patients which may lead to a general decline in ARDS mortality

References

James , K (2006 . Respiratory Diereses London : Cambridge University Press , pp . 45 - 60

Michael , A (2003 . Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome , New York Informa Health Care pp . 234 - 273

Peter , M (2005 . The World of Respiratory Diseases , London : Oxford University Press , pp . 123 - 134

Yong , Y (2004 . A clinical Approach to Medicine , New York : World Science , pp . 454 - 480

Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome...