Can an ARDS patient get ARDS again?

After recovering from ARDS, can ARDS happen again to the same person?

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is breathing failure that can occur in critically ill persons with underlying illnesses. It is not a specific disease. Instead, it is a life-threatening condition that occurs when there is severe fluid buildup in both lungs. The fluid buildup prevents the lungs from working properly鈥攖hat is, allowing the transfer of oxygen from air into the body and carbon dioxide out of the body into the air.

In ARDS, the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the lungs or the air sacs are damaged because of an infection, injury, blood loss, or inhalation injury. Fluid leaks from the blood vessels into air sacs of the lungs. While some air sacs fill with fluid, others collapse. When the air sacs collapse or fill up with fluid, the lungs can no longer fill properly with air and the lungs become stiff. Without air entering the lungs properly, the amount of oxygen in the blood drops. When this happens, the person with ARDS must be given extra oxygen and may need the help of a breathing machine.

Breathing failure can occur very quickly after the condition begins. It may take only 1 or 2 days for fluid to build up. The process that causes ARDS may continue for weeks. If scarring occurs, this will make it harder for the lungs to take in oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide.

In the past, only about 4 out of 10 people who developed ARDS survived. But today, with good care in a hospital's intensive or critical care unit, many people (about 7 out of 10) with ARDS survive. Although many people who survive ARDS make a full recovery, some survivors have lasting damage to their lungs.

March 2006

what is ARDS, r u sure youre not talking about AIDS? I have never heard of ARDS, you should give us some information about it.

If this condition is viral, it could be possible. Viruses have been known to mutate after being heavily treated with medications. Look at the common cold and the flu virus, they are never the same strain every year that it affects people. Look at HIV, researchers believe that HIV came from a monkey virus SIV. They are very similar in type but monkeys can't be affected with HIV, nor can humans become affected witrh SIV, the virus had to mutate.

If it is a bacteria, then usually bacterias can be treated with the by-products of viruses, antibiotics. Usually a bacteria will die, and the body will develop an immunity to it after extended infection and curaton.