<unk>  <unk>  is a type of<unk>  failure characterized by rapid onset of widespread inflammation in the lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath (dyspnea), rapid breathing (tachypnea), and bluish skin coloration (cyanosis). For those who survive, a decreased quality of life is common. Causes may include sepsis, pancreatitis, trauma, pneumonia, and aspiration. The underlying mechanism involves diffuse injury to cells which form the barrier of the microscopic air sacs of the lungs, surfactant dysfunction, activation of the immune system, and dysfunction of the body's regulation of blood clotting. In effect,<unk>  impairs the lungs' ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Adult diagnosis is based on a PaO2/FiO2 ratio (ratio of partial pressure arterial oxygen and fraction of inspired oxygen) of less than 300 mm Hg despite a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of more than 5 cm H2O. Cardiogenic pulmonary edema, as the cause, must be excluded. The primary treatment involves mechanical ventilation together with treatments directed at the underlying cause. Ventilation strategies include using low volumes and low pressures. If oxygenation remains insufficient, lung recruitment maneuvers and neuromuscular blockers may be used. If these are insufficient, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be an option. The<unk>  is associated with a death rate between 35 and 50%. Globally,<unk>  affects more than 3 million people a year. The condition was first described in 1967. Although the terminology of "adult<unk><unk><unk> " has at times been used to differentiate<unk>  from "infant<unk><unk><unk> " in newborns, the international consensus is that<unk> " is the best term because<unk>  can affect people of all ages. There are separate diagnostic criteria for children and those in areas of the world with fewer resources.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Heart failure
Respiratory bronchiolitis
Bacterial pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia
Community-acquired pneumonia
Hospital-acquired pneumonia
Viral pneumonia