THE MERCK MANUAL MEDICAL LIBRARY: The Merck Manual of Medical Information--Home Edition
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Section

Lung and Airway Disorders

Subject

Respiratory Failure and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Introduction
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Lung (or respiratory) failure is a condition in which the level of oxygen in the blood becomes too low or the level of carbon dioxide in the blood becomes too high. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a cause of sudden and severe lung failure.

Last full review/revision January 2008 by Brian K. Gehlbach, MD; Jesse B. Hall, MD

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