ARDS Support Center - ARDS Support, education and information resources

Education, care, support, and communication for patients, survivors, families, friends, medical personnel, and others affected by and/or interested in ARDS.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is an acute, severe injury to most or all of both lungs. Patients with ARDS experience severe shortness of breath and often require mechanical ventilation (life support) because of respiratory failure. ARDS is not a specific disease; instead, it is a type of severe, acute lung dysfunction that is associated with a variety of diseases, such as pneumonia, shock, sepsis (a severe infection in the body) and trauma. ARDS can be confused with congestive heart failure, which is another common condition that can also cause acute respiratory distress.

We at the ARDS Support Center welcome you to our website. It is our hope that you will find the information, and support you are searching for. To the left you will find links to the different sections of ASC.

Answers to many of your questions can be found in the "Learn About ARDS" section of our website. We are currently working on a search engine that will make finding answers to your questions much easier. Please be patient. If you are unable to find an answer to your question please do not hesitate to contact members of the Support Staff who will help you in any way they can. If you would like to discuss what you are going through with someone else who has had a similar experience please select two of the support staff members who will be able to offer support and understanding.

Due to the terrorist events of September 11, 2001 it was necessary to cancel the 2001 ARDS Survivors Conference planned for September 15 & 16 in Salt Lake City.

The earliest the Conference could have been rescheduled would have been April or May of 2002. After much deliberation we decided against that time because of the uncertainty in the country and because April and May are usually the months when many large medical conferences are held and it would have been very difficult to have the medical professionals we had scheduled attend the conference. Consequently we have tentatively rescheduled the ARDS Survivor Conference for September 2002 in Salt Lake City.

The conference is designed SPECIFICALLY for ARDS survivors and their families. Also attending will be numerous ARDS medical specialists from all over the country. This conference is designed to give ARDS survivors, their families and the medical profession the opportunity to share their experiences with ARDS with a series of sessions covering such topics as "problems that survivors encounter", "cognitive issues", "pulmonary issues", "ongoing health issues", "anxiety/depression issues", "problems that families encounter", "communication issues", plus many more. While the conference is designed especially with survivors & their families in mind, it is hoped that others, such as those who have lost loved ones, will attend and join in the fellowship and also perhaps find answers to some of their lingering questions.

We are requesting hotel information to obtain the best group rate. Transportation will be at attendees own cost. The cost of the conference is $49.00. Arrangements are being made to have several companies sponsor the cost of the food. Information as to the exact location and date of the conference will be posted to this website when plans are completed. Space is limited to the first 250 persons to register.

If you have previously registered to attend this event please let us know if you plan to attend the September, 2002 conference. This can be done with a message to Ken Jonah at e-mail address kenjonah@comcast.net . If you have not previously registered for this event and wish to attend please follow this link to more information and a printable registration form. You do not want to miss the opportunity to share in this special event.

ARDS Brochure "Understanding ARDS" now online

Revisions have been made to our online version of the Brochure. These revisions were created on 10/5/2001. Information has been expanded along with the addition of a new section. Please read if you have not already.

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