How to Treat Children's Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a serious condition in a child. Any sign of breathing trouble could be the sign of ARDS, which occurs when fluid enters the lungs, making it hard to breathe. Your child's lungs can also become susceptible due to a previous illness or an infection. Learn what you need to do to treat your child's ARDS immediately.
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Instructions
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Call your child's doctor if his breathing becomes shallow or labored in any way. Look at his face to see if his skin has turned blue, a sign of low blood oxygen. Doctors diagnose ARDS through a chest x-ray to check lung fluid and an arterial blood gas test to check oxygen levels in the blood. Talk with his doctor about what can be done to help your child before beginning any risky medical procedures.
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Admit your child into the hospital for treatment so that her doctor can monitor her treatment properly. Decrease the amount of breathing your child does on her own by allowing her doctor to give her a nasal or facial mask to wear. The mask delivers oxygen and reduces the risk of worsening her ARDS symptoms.
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Give your child any medication his doctor prescribes in the correct dosage. Doctors usually prescribe such medications as dobutamine or inamrinone to increase cardiac activity. Some doctors also consider epinephrine a possible medication with worsening acute respiratory distress syndrome symptoms. Check with his doctor about whether to increase his medication dosage if nothing has changed.
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Choose a treatment course for your child that yields the best results. Doctors consider the best treatment courses are for acute respiratory distress syndrome are positive-pressure ventilation and positive end-expiratory pressure. Positive-pressure ventilation gives her any additional oxygen she needs to breathe. Positive end-expiratory pressure works to increase lung expansion and allow her lungs to heal. Your child will be sedated during the positive end-expiratory pressure procedure to avoid additional discomfort.
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Allow your child to respond to his treatment plan. Talk to him and observe his breathing to make sure everything's OK. Contact his doctor if his current treatment isn't working. Doctors usually suggest additional treatment courses like noninvasive positive pressure ventilation or endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilation. Both these treatments help repair additional lung damage and increase oxygen levels. Choose one or both of those options and wait for him to respond to treatment.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure your child's doctor consider her age in recommending any type of treatment. Ask if her treatment might be hindered or cause any side effects due to her age. Have all of the information before approving a treatment plan for her to ensure a successful recovery.
