Acute & emergency · UKMLA & AKT
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise acute respiratory distress syndrome (ards) — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- ARDS is severe diffuse lung inflammation causing hypoxic respiratory failure - non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema from increased alveolar-capillary permeability, not elevated left-sided filling pressures.
- Berlin Definition (2012) - all four criteria must be met:
- Timing - acute onset within 1 week of a known insult or new/worsening respiratory symptoms
- Imaging - bilateral opacities on CXR or CT, not fully explained by effusions, collapse, or nodules
- Origin - not fully explained by cardiac failure or fluid overload (echo may be needed)
- Oxygenation - PaO2/FiO2 (PF) ratio classified on minimum PEEP of 5 cmH2O
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