Respiratory distress syndrome: two different states

The disease, which is in the title of this article, is one of the few that has receded as a result of the fact that doctors have paid much attention to issues of treatment and prevention. Therefore, the numbers of morbidity and mortality have recently declined. What is respiratory distress syndrome and who is diagnosed with it?

In general, behind this name there can be two fundamentally different states. The first of these is a full-blown disease that occurs in premature babies due to the fact that the lungs are immature. The second is acute adult respiratory distress syndrome, a condition that occurs for a variety of reasons, but is not considered a separate disease. Let us consider both states in more detail.

Let's start with the syndrome in infants. This means that a sufficient amount of surfactant is not produced in the lungs and there is a disturbance in the structure of the hyaline membranes. The degree of severity of such a violation depends on the gestational age of this baby. The more prematurity, the stronger, according to statistics, the severity of the disease. It can be successfully prevented by steroid therapy even before delivery, which increases the degree of maturity of the lungs. Also, the early administration of surfactant and a special, gentle mode of ventilation of the lungs help, it helps to prevent organ failure and many other complications.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is diagnosed in adults (although it happens in full-term children) is a serious condition that is caused by a lung injury or infection. In this condition, inflammation of the lung parenchyma is observed, as a result of which the gas exchange deteriorates very sharply. At the same time, at the level of a holistic organism, more and more new substances are released that increase inflammation. If you do not help such a patient, a multi-organ failure is very likely , along with lungs, the liver and kidneys, as well as some other organs, will suffer. This condition requires urgent care, that is, a patient with a serious degree of severity of the syndrome is treated by resuscitators.

It all begins with a feeling of lack of air and quickening of breathing. The patient begins to suffer from confusion. The syndrome manifests itself clinically after 24-48 hours after exposure to a provoking factor. There are two categories. The first is damaging factors. Among them, the penetration of foreign bodies, trauma, burns, poisoning the body (including alcohol), transfusion of large amounts of blood. The second category of causes is exacerbation of the disease (not necessarily easy). It can be acute pancreatitis, pneumonia caused by an infection, or sepsis. If a respiratory distress syndrome is suspected, an X-ray is taken, showing characteristic features. The arterial blood is also analyzed for gas content. Thus, it is possible to detect a lack of oxygen and an excess of carbon dioxide in it, which is an important diagnostic feature.

In intensive care, the patient is in acute condition subjected to a procedure for ventilation of the lungs, usually this process lasts a long, often more than two weeks. The patient is placed in a special position to reduce the likelihood of lung decay. Limit the amount of fluid in the body by using diuretics or restricting drinking. Also, corticosteroids are often prescribed, however, the doses are small and help when the patient has already started to get out of critical condition.

Respiratory distress syndrome begins acutely, so when you have anxious symptoms, such as a feeling of lack of air, you need to call an ambulance. This sign is very unfavorable, even if your case is not associated with this disease. This is very serious, therefore, refer accordingly.