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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Acute respiratory distress syndrome chest x ray

Introduction

Overview

Overview

By definition, patients with ARDS have bilateral airspace opacities on chest X-ray.

Chest X-Ray

Chest X-Ray

Chest X-ray is the preferred imaging modality in the assessment of ARDS. Classic findings of ARDS on chest X-ray include:

Diffuse, hazy airspace opacities that are bilateral but often asymmetric
Obscuration of the pulmonary vessels

ARDS on chest X-ray of a 65-year-old man who was admitted to the ICU with necrotizing fasciitis, sepsis, acute renal failure, and progressive respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation^[1]

References

References

↑ Case courtesy of Associate Professor Frank Gaillard, M.D. “http://radiopaedia.org/cases/35985“

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Brian Shaller, M.D. [2]