ARDS

 

Ventilation in ARDS:

 

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, (ARDS) is a condition of diffuse alveolar damage and inflammation, secondary to any number of possible processes. While ARDS always causes hypoxemia, not all hypoxemia is ARDS. ARDS is the most common severe complication of COVID-19, contributing to the severe morbidity and mortality of the infection. ARDS is defined by 4 criteria:

1.      1. The condition must be acute (< 7 days)

2.    2. The findings are not solely explained by cardiogenic pulmonary edema

3.    3.  The chest X-ray must have bilateral opacities

4.   4.    While on at least 5 cmH₂O of positive pressure ventilation, the ratio of PaO₂ to FiO₂ (expressed as a decimal, such as 0.7) must be < 300

1.      Mild ARDS is a PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio of 200-300

2.      Moderate ARDS is 100-199

3.      Severe ARDS is < 100