ARDS. History, definitions, and physiology

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was formally described in 1971; however, physicians have been describing this syndrome and associating pulmonary edema with sepsis or toxic origins for over 100 years. Recently, an international conference accepted definitional criteria for ARDS that have become the accepted standard. ARDS is triggered by a large number of insults that often do not directly affect the lung. ARDS progresses pathologically through exudative, proliferative, and fibrotic phases.