Acute & emergency · UKMLA & AKT
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
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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