A 57 year old male suffering from acute pancreatitis develops sudden onset breathlessness with a CVP< 18mmHg. The chest xray shows bilateral infiltrates. The possible diagnosis is -

Ans. is 'a' i.e., ARDS ARDS Criteria 1. Acute, meaning onset over 1 week or less. 2. Bilateral opacities consistent with pulmonary edema must be present and may be detected on CT or chest radiograph. 3. PF ratio < 300 mmHg with a minimum of 5 cmH20 PEEP (or CPAP). 4. C VP < 18 mmHg. X-Ray showing bilateral infiltrates: