NURS 6501: MIDTERM EXAM: Please contact Assignment Samurai for help with NURS 6501: Midterm Exam or any other assignment. Email: assignmentsamurai@gmail.com   In a suspected case of ARDS, a patient’s chest X-ray reveals diffuse bilateral infiltrates. The healthcare team is considering noncardiogenic pulmonary edema secondary to ARDS as the likely diagnosis. What is the primary effect of this type of pulmonary edema on lung function? Group of answer choices

• It increases the airway resistance due to secretion buildup
• It reduces lung compliance, making the lungs stiffer
• It improves lung elasticity, increasing inspiratory capacity
• Diminishes surface tension, promoting atelectasis

  The correct answer is It reduces lung compliance, making the lungs stiffer. Explanation: In acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), noncardiogenic pulmonary edema is a major feature, where fluid accumulates in the alveoli without the presence of heart failure or increased hydrostatic pressure. The primary effect of this edema is a reduction in lung compliance, which means the lungs become stiffer and less able to expand properly. This stiffening makes it harder for the lungs to inflate and can lead to difficulty in ventilation, requiring mechanical support in many cases. Why the other options are incorrect:

• It increases the airway resistance due to secretion buildup: While secretion buildup can contribute to airway obstruction, the primary issue in ARDS is pulmonary edema and reduced compliance rather than an increase in airway resistance.
• It improves lung elasticity, increasing inspiratory capacity: This is incorrect because pulmonary edema, especially in ARDS, reduces lung compliance and leads to loss of lung elasticity, making it harder for the lungs to expand, not easier.
• Diminishes surface tension, promoting atelectasis: Surface tension in the alveoli is actually increased in ARDS due to the presence of fluid and inflammatory changes. This leads to atelectasis, which is the collapse of alveoli, not due to a reduction in surface tension.

Conclusion: In ARDS, noncardiogenic pulmonary edema reduces lung compliance, making the lungs stiffer and less capable of expanding properly, which impairs gas exchange and contributes to respiratory distress.