Medicine
Pathophysiology of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Quick fact
ARDS can develop within hours of a triggering event like sepsis, pneumonia, or trauma, and it carries a mortality rate of 30–40%, even with advanced medical care.
Why this is interesting
Imagine your lungs are coated with a protective film that keeps them springy and dry. Now imagine the film is suddenly ripped apart, and fluid floods your air sacs instead of air. What happens to your breath?