diffuse alveolar damage
a·dult res·pi·ra·to·ry dis·tress syn·drome (ARDS),
diffuse alveolar damage
A term of art referring to the histologic findings in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is characterised by an acute onset of diffuse pulmonary infiltrates.Aetiology
AIDS, air embolism, fat embolism, aspiration of gastric content, cardiopulmonary bypass, connective tissue disease (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, dermatomyositis), DIC, drugs (either therapeutic—e.g., bleomycin, busulfan, cytoxan, methotrexate, nitrofurantoin—or drugs of abuse), heat injury, haemosiderosis, high altitude, iatrogenic (PEEP), infection (viruses, e.g., herpes, CMV; protozoans, e.g., Toxoplasma gondii, Pneumocystis jiroveci), molar pregnancy, noxious fumes (e.g., beryllium, cadmium, mercury, zinc), toxins (e.g., ammonia, kerosene, paraquat, phosgene), gases (e.g., CO2, NO2), (acute) pancreatitis, radiation, sepsis and endotoxins, shock, uraemia.
DiffDx
Goodpasture’s syndrome, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, multisystem organ failure, pneumonia (aspiration, bacterial, eosinophilic, nosocomial, Pneumocystis jiroveci, ventilator-related), respiratory failure, sepsis, shock (haemorrhagic, septic, toxic), perioperative lung management, toxicity (heroin, paraquat, salicylates), transfusion reaction, tumor lysis, ventilation.