Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS): Tests
ARDS, or , is a lung condition that leads to low levels in the . ARDS can be life threatening because your body’s need oxygen-rich blood to work well.
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About Diagnosis of ARDS
Your doctor will diagnose ARDS based on your medical history, a physical exam, and test results.
Medical History
Your doctor will ask whether you have or have recently had conditions that could lead to ARDS. For a list of these conditions, go to “Who Is at Risk for ARDS?”
Your doctor also will ask whether you have problems, such as . Heart failure can cause fluid to build up in your .
Physical Exam
ARDS may cause abnormal breathing sounds, such as crackling. Your doctor will listen to your with a to hear these sounds.
He or she also will listen to your and look for signs of extra fluid in other parts of your body. Extra fluid may mean you have heart or problems.
Your doctor will look for a bluish color on your and . A bluish color means your has a low level of . This is a possible sign of ARDS.
Diagnostic Tests
You may have…