ARDS, or ‘shock lung’, is a term used to describe a lung condition that develops after the lung has been damaged by a range of possible causes.
The term ‘shock lung’ was first used during the Vietnam War when soldiers developed ARDS after severe injuries.
It can be linked to illnesses such as blood poisoning (septicaemia), after major surgery, major burns and other severe injuries.
When ARDS develops, your lung tissue fills with proteins. This causes the lungs to collapse, which makes them very stiff and unable to work normally.
You become short of breath and short of oxygen, which can make your skin go blue. If the condition gets worse, it leads to less oxygen getting into your body and then lung failure.
ARDS causes severe lung damage. Many people need help to breathe from a ventilator. People with ARDS are often looked after in intensive care units.
Doctors do not understand why illnesses that do not directly affect the lungs lead to ARDS. But it has been found that the normal defensive systems of the body to oxidative stress - part of the normal breathing process - become overwhelmed, leading to ARDS.
ARDS develops very quickly and the condition is often fatal. Death rates do vary but they are often as high as 50 per cent.
However, new treatments and the use of smarter ventilators mean that the situation is improving. People who are successfully treated often fully recover and have normal lungs after six months.
Page last medically reviewed: Jan '05
