A Patient Who Was in a Motor Vehicle Accident 1

A patient who was in a motor vehicle accident 1 day ago has been diagnosed with lung contusions. The patient develops increasing respiratory distress. The nurse recognizes that which factor will differentiate a diagnosis of acute lung injury (ALI) from a diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) ?

A) ALI patients have fewer injuries than ARDS patients.
B) ARDS patients have a lower respiratory rate than ALI patients.
C) ARDS and ALI differ only in the extent of hypoxemia.
D) ALI patients have more inflammation than ARDS patients.