Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Pregnancy

Acute respiratory failure is a rare occurrence during pregnancy, estimated to occur in 0.2–0.3% of pregnancies, but when this occurs it can have significant consequences for mother and child. Acute hypoxic respiratory failure associated with pregnancy requires attention to the inciting cause and distinction between cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic aetiologies. Specifically, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by rapid onset of hypoxaemic respiratory failure associated with diffuse pulmonary opacities related to non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema.