RESPIRATORY
DISTRESS SYNDROMES
Overwhelming acute lung injury can occur in adults as a result of severe infection,
trauma, or the aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs. This
syndrome is known as acute or adult
respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The injury to the lung is characterized by leaks in the capillaries within the lung leading to flooding of the airspaces (alveoli) with fluid. There is no specific treatment for the disease and the mortality rate is approximately 40%.
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), or hyaline membrane disease, is a disorder that occurs in newborn infants, most often in those born prematurely. It is an indication of incomplete development of the lungs; the infant suffers from difficulty in breathing and deficient transfer of oxygen into the blood. Treatment with surfactant, a medicine helping the lungs to mature, has been shown to be effective in some cases.