Acute respiratory distress syndrome

There's no specific test to identify ARDS. The diagnosis is based on the physical exam, chest X-ray and oxygen levels. It's also important to rule out other diseases and conditions — for example, certain heart problems — that can produce similar symptoms.

Imaging

Chest X-ray. A chest X-ray can reveal which parts of your lungs and how much of the lungs have fluid in them and whether your heart is enlarged.

Computerized tomography (CT). A CT scan combines X-ray images taken from many different directions into cross-sectional views of internal organs. CT scans can provide detailed information about the structures within the heart and lungs.

Lab tests

A test using blood from an artery in your wrist can measure your oxygen level. Other types of blood tests can check for signs of infection or anemia. If your doctor suspects that you have a lung infection, secretions from your airway may be tested to determine the cause of the infection.

Heart tests

Because the signs and symptoms of ARDS are similar to those of certain heart problems, your doctor may recommend heart tests such as:

Electrocardiogram. This painless test tracks the electrical activity in your heart. It involves attaching several wired sensors to your body.

Echocardiogram. A sonogram of the heart, this test can reveal problems with the structures and the function of your heart.

Based in the intensive care unit, doctors in the ARDS program work closely with other specialists to make sure patients receive the highest quality care for their disease.

Patients benefit from the experience and focused attention of the whole team, who collaborate to deliver specialized quality care. At the Temple Lung Center, board-certified critical care attending physicians staff the intensive care unit around the clock.

ARDS treatment focuses on supporting the patient while the lung heals, and usually involves some combination of oxygen therapy, ventilator support, prone positioning, and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Another important part of the care for ARDS is to prevent and manage complications related to being in an intensive care unit.

The most common treatment for ARDS is oxygen therapy. This involves delivering extra oxygen to patients, through a mask, nasal cannula (two small tubes that enter the nose), or a tube inserted directly into the windpipe.

Ventilator support: All patients with ARDS need oxygen therapy, as noted above. Oxygen alone is usually not enough, and patients will likely need to be supported by a mechanical ventilator too. Mechanical ventilation involves inserting a flexible tube through the nose or mouth and into the windpipe. Air then flows into the lungs to help the patient breathe, as well as to help reduce the fluid buildup in the lungs.

Prone positioning: Hospitalized patients are typically in bed on their backs. However, lying facedown (prone) may help improve oxygen levels in the blood and increase survival in patients with ARDS. This can be very complicated and takes a whole team to do, and some patients may be too sick for it. There are special beds in the intensive care unit designed to help position patients facedown.