ARDS

Question 1

What is ARDS?

Answer 1

Acute inflammatory lung injury characterised by:
- rapid onset sever dyspnea
-hypoxia
-bilateral pulmonary infiltrates
-leads to respiratory failure

Not explained by cardiac failure or fluid overload

Question 2

Causes of ARDS

Answer 2

Direct lung injury:
-pneumonia
-aspiration of gastric contents
-pulmonary contusion
-near drowning
-toxic inhalation
Indirect lung injury
-sepsis (most common)
-severe trauma
-multiple fractures/ flail chest
-head injury
-burns
-massive transfusion
-pancreatitis

Question 3

What is the Berlin Definition of ARDS

Answer 3

All must be present:
-Onset within 1 week
-bilateral opacities on imaging
- not fully explained by cardiac failure
-PEEP > 5cm H2O

Question 4

ARDS Severity classification

Answer 4

Severity predicts mortality and duration of ventilation.
Uses P/F ratio (Pa02/FiO2)
Mild: 200-300
Moderate: 100-200
Severe < 100