Related concepts:

Breathing difficulty, Shortness of breath, Acute respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS

Introduction to respiratory distress:

Is your child’s breathing ok? A child who has significant breathing difficulty needs immediate medical care. What signs should a parent look for?

What is respiratory distress?

Respiratory distress is the name given whenever a child’s respiratory system is in danger of not being able to keep up with the child’s needs for oxygen and gas exchange.

Respiratory distress can occur in a great many conditions, including those arising in the lungs, bronchi, bronchioles, heart, muscles, nerves, or brain. Respiratory distress is the most common diagnosis among children who need to be admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an uncommon critical condition where the lungs fill with fluid and inflammatory cells. This may occur following major trauma, bone marrow transplantation, or after a variety of illnesses.

Who gets respiratory distress?

Children’s airways are smaller than adults. Too much difficulty breathing is a problem, whatever the cause. Children might develop respiratory distress as a result of many situations including allergies, anthrax, asthma, botulism, bronchiolitis, CMV, concussion, cough, croup, cystic fibrosis, diphtheria, encephalitis, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, food allergies, foreign bodies, heat stroke, heart failure, HIV, measles, meconium aspiration, meningitis, mononucleosis, near-drowning, peanut allergy, pertussis, pneumonia, poisoning, polio, reflux, RSV, sepsis, sickle cell anemia, shock, SIDS, sleep apnea, trauma, tuberculosis, or wheezing – among other things.

What are the symptoms of respiratory distress?

As children’s breathing becomes increasingly difficult, they tend to develop observable signs.