17th January 2024

Presentation

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of ARDS can be non-specific but include shortness of breath, dry cough, fever, confusion, myalgia, dizziness and fatigue. Patients may often have many of the above symptoms due to their underlying diagnosis, so regular and close monitoring is key in early identification of progression to ARDS. On examination, features include tachypnoea, tachycardia, diffuse crepitations on auscultation and cyanosis, depending on severity. Signs of acute pulmonary oedema, such as raised JVP and peripheral oedema, should be absent.