ARDS was first diagnosed as a distinct medical condition in the late 1960's.  Since then progress has been made in the diagnosis of ARDS and in establishing documentation about some  of the underlying medical conditions.  Treatment modalities have been developed as well as prospective courses that physicians, patients and their families may expect to encounter.  Dr. Roy Brower of Johns Hopkins Hospital believes that ARDS is, "the ultimate ICU challenge."  The syndrome can and does affect every organ of the body.

In order to develop a concerted medical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of ARDS the medical community in the United States has established the ARDS Clinical Network, ARDSNet.  It consists of eleven clinical centers including twenty-four hospitals, under the monitoring auspices of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institute for Health (NIH).  The Massachusetts General Hospital with Dr. Taylor Thompson acts as the Coordinating Center.  Dr. Gordon Bernard from Vanderbilt is the current ARDSNet Steering Committee Chairman.   ARDSNet has a public website, and a link to the website is located on our Links page

The first meeting of ARDSnet was in early October, 1994.  In 1996, the first patients were enrolled in ARDS studies. At first, the studies only included those who were newly diagnosed, but have since grown to include those who have been fighting ARDS.   ARDSnet receives federal funding but is also in need of funding from the private sector.

Following are links to pages showing the medical organizations  that are a part of the ARDSNet.