ARDS diagnosis and management: implications for the critical care nurse

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), an intense form of hypoxemic respiratory failure, may be one of the most elusive diagnoses encountered in the intensive care unit. Increasing the knowledge base of the critical care nurse is imperative to prevent and diagnose ARDS, as well as to generate and implement evidence-based clinical interventions. This article presents a thorough examination of the many facets of ARDS, including its definition, etiology, pathophysiology, presentation, diagnosis, and management.