Which of the following conditions can place a client at risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)?

A. Septic shock is a major risk factor for ARDS because it triggers a systemic inflammatory response, causing increased capillary permeability, pulmonary edema, and alveolar injury. The resulting hypoxemia and lung inflammation can rapidly progress to ARDS. B. COPD is a chronic lung disease characterized by airflow limitation, but it does not directly trigger the acute inflammatory lung injury seen in ARDS. Patients with COPD may have baseline hypoxemia, which can complicate ARDS, but it is not a primary risk factor. C. Asthma is an obstructive airway disease with reversible bronchoconstriction. While severe asthma attacks can cause hypoxemia, asthma itself does not directly cause the alveolar-capillary damage characteristic of ARDS. D. Heart failure can lead to cardiogenic pulmonary edema, which is not classified as ARDS, since ARDS is a non-cardiogenic form of pulmonary edema caused by inflammation and increased vascular permeability rather than hydrostatic pressure.