SIGNS AND SYMPTOMSThe symptoms of ARDS are typical of someone who is having a hard time breathing. This includes:• Rapid breathing• Shortness of breath• Difficulty taking breaths• Low blood pressure• Organ failure• Confusion• Extreme fatigue

ARDS is a life-threatening condition and a medical emergency. If you are experiencing signs and symptoms of ARDS, call 9-1-1 immediately.

TREATMENTARDS is a medical emergency. Before anything else, it is vital that you get more oxygen in your blood. A mask placed over your mouth and nose can supply you with oxygen, but if you are having too much trouble breathing, you may need to be intubated. To do this, a doctor places a tube into your trachea (airway), usually through your mouth. This tube is then attached to mechanical ventilator that will help you breathe by pushing air directly into your lungs.

S E P S I S I N F O R M A T I O N G U I D E S

andSepsisARDS

SEPSIS INFORMATION GUIDE – SEPSIS AND ARDS

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening lung condition. It develops rapidly and drastically reduces the amount of oxygen your blood gets from your lungs.

Your lungs are filled with air sacs, which transfer air from your lungs to your blood. When you have ARDS, fluid leaks from the blood vessels in your airway into these tiny air sacs, limiting how much oxygen can move from the air sacs to your blood. Other air sacs become unstable and collapse, also limiting their ability to function. Your body’s organs depend on the oxygen and nutrients blood brings. If your blood does not have enough oxygen to meet your organs’ needs, they stop functioning properly. This may lead to failure of additional organs.

Although ARDS can be triggered by several causes, including trauma or aspiration (inhaling a foreign substance, such as food or vomit), the most common cause of ARDS is sepsis. Often incorrectly called blood poisoning, sepsis is the body’s often deadly response to infection. Sepsis kills and disables millions and requires early suspicion and treatment for survival.

Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in the body, such as pneumonia, influenza, or urinary tract infections. Worldwide, one-third of people who develop sepsis die. Many who do survive are left with life-changing effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain and fatigue, organ dysfunction (organs don’t work properly) and/or amputations.

Once the initial medical emergency is under control, the doctors then need to learn why you developed ARDS and treat the cause. If the cause was sepsis, this treatment would include antibiotics to treat the infection, intravenous fluids, and possibly medications called vasopressors to help raise your blood pressure. Intravenous fluids are important, but the doctors must be careful not to give you too much. You need fluids to keep up your blood pressure, which allows your blood to flow through your blood vessels. Too much fluid could cause more fluid build-up in your lungs.

COMPLICATIONS AND TREATMENTSIf you’ve had ARDS, you could be left with some lasting effects, such as scarring in the lung tissue and abnormal lung function.

The treatment for sepsis is antibiotics and fluids, among other therapies. Sepsis experts are worried about antibiotic resistance. They support measures to prevent resistance, because controlling infections with appropriate antibiotics is the cornerstone of sepsis treatment. Without adequate antibiotics to treat patients, the future of sepsis care would be grim. We must slow down the growth of superbugs so that we can successfully continue to treat bacterial infections and save lives of those who have sepsis.

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SEPSIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY

IF YOU SUSPECT SEPSIS,CALL 9-1-1 OR GO TO AHOSPITAL RIGHT AWAY.

To learn more about sepsis, or to read tributes and survivor stories,

visit us online at Sepsis.org

The information in this pamphlet is intended for educational purposes only. Sepsis Alliance does not represent or guarantee that this information is applicable to any specific patient’s care or treatment. The educational content here does not constitute medical advice from a physician and is not to be used as a substitute for treatment or advice from a practicing physician or other healthcare provider. Sepsis Alliance recommends users consult their physician or healthcare provider regarding any questions about whether the information in this pamphlet might apply to their individual treatment or care.

SEPSIS is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.

What are the signs and symptoms of sepsis?

Sepsis is a toxic response to an infection. There is no single sign or symptom of sepsis. It is, rather, a combination of symptoms. Symptoms can include ANY of the following:

S – Shivering, fever, or very cold E – Extreme pain or general discomfort (“worst ever”) P – Pale or discolored skin S – Sleepy, difficult to rouse, confused I – “I feel like I might die” S – Short of breath

What should I do if I think a loved one or I have sepsis?

If you suspect sepsis, call 9-1-1 or go to a hospital and tell your medical professional, “I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SEPSIS.”

Sepsis Information Guides are supported in part by an educational grant from bioMérieux, Inc.