What makes lung atelectasis so frightening?
The alveoli do not open and there is no gas exchange, indicating that the patient is severely hypoxic, potentially leading to suffocation and death. These symptoms of hypoxic suffocation are called Respiratory Distress Syndrome, or RDS in English. In adult patients, it's known as adult-type RDS, abbreviated as ARDS, with an added A. In newborns, it's called Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome, NRDS, with an added N. The reason these two are separated is because the causes of respiratory distress syndrome in adults and newborns are quite different.
In adult ARDS, as illustrated by the memorable case of SARS, the primary cause is severe infection. In patients with severe infection, the virus inactivates a large amount of pulmonary surfactant, abbreviated as PS, on the surface of the alveoli, causing them to collapse.
