Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Research Paper

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurs when fluid builds up in the tiny, elastic air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. More fluid in your lungs means less oxygen can reach your bloodstream. This deprives your organs of the oxygen they need to function.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a dentist just like my mom. If you ask me what I would want to be now, I would probably tell you a respiratory therapist. I would want to go into any medical field because I love helping others and seeing others progress in their illness and watching them grow as people. I also would want a job that allows me to have contact with people everyday. In this paper, I will be discussing what a respiratory therapist does on an everyday basis, the salary and job demand, and the classes a respiratory therapist has to take.

I think respiratory therapist would be good job for me, as I think I would be good for this major as well. I am everything that is necessary of this field, persistent, hardworking willing, and wanting to learn, and wants to improve further in respiratory therapist. The spirit and power it takes to work in medical field I have that, but along with what I was convey to be and want to do make me even more of a positive element to the field.

According to the American Lung Association, “Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a rapidly progressive disease occurring in critically ill patients.” ARDS is an extreme manifestation of a lung injury that can be associated with an acute medical problem. This occurs as a result of direct or indirect trauma to the lungs. With nearly 200,000 cases in the United States each year, ARDS is not extremely common (“Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome”). Most people who acquire this disease are critically ill patients within the hospital. The most common predisposing medical problems of ARDS consist of: shock, trauma, pulmonary infections, sepsis, aspiration, and cardiopulmonary bypass (Ignatavicious, 2013). ARDS is a severe syndrome and even with prompt and aggressive medical treatment, almost fifty percent of those diagnosed do not survive. Those who survive have a longer hospital stay along with recurring hospital admissions throughout their lifetime (“Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome”). Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a rapidly progressive disease which requires thorough assessment, rapid diagnosis, and emergency treatment measures in order to successfully respond to the disease process.

Respiratory therapists are health care professionals who are responsible for taking care of people who have lung and heart problems. Respiratory therapist responsibilities include treating patients with infections, diseases and viruses. RT’s care for patients who range from newborns’ to elderly. They have knowledge in pulmonary functions, pathophysiology, cardiopulmonary, and technology which allows them to thoroughly diagnose and treat patients with disorders. They deal with disorders such as COPD, pneumonia, asthma, flail chest, and many more. They also work with patients who have or had sleep disorders and heart attacks.

Respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants caused by pulmonary surfactant deficiency with incomplete lung development (Santosham et al, 2013). It can also occur as a consequence of neonatal infection (Sinha et al, 2012).

Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a highly contagious virus that is contracted when the victim touches a surface or sneezes. It is believed that SARS primarily attacks the lungs but it is not fully understood if it is the only organ affected. Some liver abnormalities have occurred but it is not fully known if the disease attacks the liver as well. The virus is believed to have originated from China, but it was diagnosed in a Vietnamese hospital by Dr. Carlo Urbani. Both the doctor and the patient died from SARS complications.

For the past 50 years acute respiratory distress syndrome or better known as ARDS, has been an issue in hospital intensive care units all around the world. The first “documented published scientific description dates back to 1821 when Laennec described the gross pathology of the heart and lungs and described idiopathic anasarca of the lungs; pulmonary edema without heart failure in a treatise on diseases of the chest.”1 Cardiac and non-cardiac issues were not taken into consideration as part of the cause at that time. The first definition dates back to Ashbaugh and colleagues in 1967.2 Though modern medicine has been around for hundreds of years, it wasn’t until hospitals designed intensive care units and began using mechanical ventilation

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by ventilation and perfusion mismatching that leads to hypoxic respiratory failure. Ashbaugh and colleagues first defined it in 1967 when they described 12 patients with severe acute respiratory failure (Ferguson et al., 2012). “These patients had severe hypoxemia that was refractory to supplemental oxygen, but which in some cases was responsive to the application of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)” (Ferguson et al., 2012, p. 1574). Autopsy also revealed widespread pulmonary inflammation, edema and hyaline membranes (Ferguson et al., 2012).

In the article, Acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome: Two challenging respiratory disorders, I learned about how difficult it is to diagnose a deadly respiratory disorder. Acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress (ARDS) is a secondary illness resulting from a primary disease that has been largely ignored by the veterinary community, but initial early recognition of the disease is paramount to providing a full recovery. This compounding disorder primarily affects the lungs and its associated passages and membranes in the respiratory system which becomes deadlier as it progresses. The three phases of this disease are the exudative phase, the proliferative phase, and the fibrotic phase. In order to suspect this

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an extremely rare, deleterious disease caused by a type of viral pathogen called a coronavirus. The disease first appeared among residents of southern China, near Hong Kong, in 2002. Over the course of eight months, the disease spread to up to 8,000 individuals, 10% of which died. As a contagious viral pandemic, SARS diffused to nearly 30 countries by 2003, including Germany, Canada, and the United States. However, by 2004, all cases of SARS disappeared and have not reappeared anywhere since then. After considerable research, scientists discovered that the infection was caused by a single-stranded RNA coronavirus. The virus was so named due to the several corona-like “spikes” that were known to protrude from the molecule. Because SARS suddenly attracted widespread attention when it was first identified in China in 2002, the virus was classified as an emerging infectious disease.

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a breathing disorder that affects newborns. RDS rarely occurs in full-term infants. The disorder is more common in premature infants born about 6 weeks or more before their due dates. It usually develops in the first 24 hours after birth. RDS is more common in premature infants because their lungs aren't able to make enough surfactant. Surfactant is a liquid that is produced from the alveolar type two cells and coat the inside of the lungs. It breaks up the surface tension found within in the alveoli. Without enough surfactant, the alveoli will stick together and the lungs will collapse, which means the infant has to work much harder to be able to breathe. He or she might not be able to breathe in enough oxygen to support the body's organs. The lack of oxygen can damage the baby's brain and other organs if proper treatment isn't given. According to an article titled “What is the Respiratory Distress Syndrome” by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institution, states that “In fact, nearly all infants born before 28 weeks of pregnancy develop RDS (2012, p. 1).” This paper will discuss the pathophysiologic problems,

Two primary conditions cause acute cor pulmonale. The more common of the two -- pulmonary embolism – is related to a sudden increase in pulmonary resistance. The less common -- acute respiratory distress syndrome -- is related to right ventricular overload and mechanical ventilation as a higher transpulmonary pressure is required (Sovari, 2014).

ARDS (Acute Lung Distress Syndrome) is a condition where there are buildup of fluid in the tiny air sacs in the lungs that is known as alveoli. This condition will lead to less oxygenation to the body and its main organ such as the lungs,brain and heart, which is hazardous. ARDS occurs when there is important trauma that will affect the lungs by direct or indirectly. When something like this occurs our body response automatically and quickly where it releases many natural molecules into the bloodstream which is called inflammatory reaction. This inflammatory reaction is protective and will help us fight against infection or heal from any injury. However, there will be times where this inflammatory molecules go against which will lead the tiny

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a common lung disorder that mostly affects preterm infants. RDS is caused by insufficient surfactant production and structural immaturity of the lungs leading to alveolar collapse. Clinically, RDS presents soon after birth with tachypnea, nasal flaring, grunting, retractions, hypercapnia, and/or an oxygen need. The usual course is clinical worsening followed by recovery in 3 to 5 days as adequate surfactant production occurs. Research in the prevention and treatment of this disease has led to major improvements in the care of preterm infants with RDS and increased survival. However, RDS remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality especially in the most preterm infants. This chapter reviews the most current evidence-based management of RDS, including prevention, delivery room stabilization, respiratory management, and supportive care.