ARDS
Acronym that stands for a disorder known as or Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
In ARDS there is respiratory failure of sudden (acute) onset due to the rapid accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) following an abrupt increase in the permeability of the normal barrier between the capillaries and the air sacs in the lungs. ARDS is the most serious response to acute lung injury.
The types of acute lung injury that may lead to ARDS are very diverse. They include (but are by no means limited to) aspiration (swallowing fluid or food down the windpipe), inhalation of a toxic substance, widespread (diffuse) infection of the lungs, sepsis (blood infection) and near drowning.
ARDS forces the muscles of the lungs to work harder causing labored breathing (huffing and puffing). Despite the effort, breathing is inefficient. There is hypoxemia (an abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood), a characteristic feature of ARDS.
The treatment of ARDS frequently involves the transient use of a mechanical ventilator to help breathing.
Read Also:
- Areflexia
Areflexia: Absence of neurologic reflexes such as the knee jerk reaction.
- Areola
Areola: 1. The small darkened area around the nipple of the breast. 2. The colored part of the iris around the pupil of the eye. 3. Any small space in a tissue.
- Arenavirus
Arenavirus: One of a family of viruses called Arenaviridae whose members are generally associated with diseases transmitted by rodents to humans. Each arenavirus is usually associated with a particular rodent host species in which it is maintained. Arenavirus infections are relatively common in humans in some areas of the world and can cause severe illnesses. […]
- Argentaffinoma
Argentaffinoma: A tumor which secretes large amounts of the hormone serotonin. Argentaffinoma is also called carcinoid tumor. The tumor usually arises in the gastrointestinal tract, anywhere between the stomach and the rectum (the favorite spot is in the appendix) and from there may metastasize (spread) to the liver. In the liver the tumor produces and […]
- Arginine
Arginine: An essential amino acid and a key component of protein. Lack of arginine in the diet impairs growth, and in adult males it decreases the sperm count. Arginine is available in turkey, chicken, and other meats, and as L-arginine in supplements. Babies born without the enzyme phosphate synthetase have arginine deficiency syndrome; adding arginine […]