Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition where the lungs can't provide the body's vital organs with enough oxygen.

It's usually a complication of a serious existing health condition. Most people have therefore already been admitted to hospital by the time they develop ARDS.

ARDS occurs when the lungs become severely inflamed due to an infection or injury. The inflammation causes fluid from nearby blood vessels to leak into the tiny air sacs in your lungs, making breathing increasingly difficult.

For more information on ARDS and other lung conditions, visit the British Lung Foundation

• HOW WE HELP PATIENTS
• The story behind the image
• From mountainside to bedside
• Learning from life at the limits
• Acute mountain sickness, HACE and HAPE
• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
• Blue Baby Syndrome
• Congenital heart disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Oxygen deficiency
• Sepsis/septic shock
• Information about ICU and support offered