Question

1. What is ARDS?

2. What are the risk factors for developing ARDS? Which does G.S. have?

3. With her extensive injuries, how was ARDS diagnosed?

4. Describe the collaborative care patients generally receive in the ICU for ARDS.

Answer 1

1. What is ARDS?

ARDS stands for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. It is a life-threatening progressive disease in which air sacs of the lungs get filled with fluid which results in depriving oxygen to organs.

2. What are the risk factors for developing ARDS? Which does G.S. have?

The risk factors for developing ARDS are -

Cigarette smoking, Obesity, high-risk surgery, alcohol consumption, chemotherapy, multiple liver lacerations, probable cardiac contusion, compound fractures of the legs, etc.

G.S. developed ARDS because of trauma from the vehicular accident.

3. With her extensive injuries, how was ARDS diagnosed?

With her extensive injuries, ARDS was diagnosed by ruling out other diseases -

Special imaging techniques like CT scan, CXR; laboratory tests including Sputum Cx, ABGs, BNP, etc.; EKG; Bronchoscopy, Hemodynamic Monitoring.

4. Describe the collaborative care patients generally receive in the ICU for ARDS.

the care that patients generally receive in the ICU for ARDS is monitoring the signs of respiratory distress or dyspnea. looking for possible adverse conditions like dehydration, hypocalcemia, metabolic alkalosis, dry mouth, etc. monitoring allergic reactions, lung sounds, BP and pulse; accessing intake and output, constant cardiac monitoring, etc.