ARDS inflames the alveoli, causing them to fill with liquid and collapse. Once the alveoli collapse, gas exchange ceases, and the body becomes starved of oxygen. Without mechanical ventilation or some other form of assisted breathing, the patient will probably die. ARDS is a syndrome, not a specific disease. The duration and intensity of the crisis can vary considerably from patient to patient.
Most patients die from the underlying disease or from complications of mechanical ventilation.
In patients who survive, normal lung function usually resumes within 6 to 12 months. According to the American Lung Association, the incidence of ARDS ranges from as low as 1.5 to as high as 71 per 100,000 persons in the United States. The body s respiratory system looks like an upside-down, hollow tree. Indeed, the passageways leading from the mouth to the interior of the lung are referred to as the tracheobronchial tree. Air moves through the respiratory system from the base of the trunk to the tips of the twigs.