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Thursday, October 4, 2012

H2S AND PULMONARY EDEMA

PULMONARY EDEMA
Pulmonary Edema is potentially life threatening and needs immediate medical attention
As a follow-up to our article on cardiac asthma we'll look at what congestive heart failure can develop
into if left untreated,Pulmonary Edema.Where cardiac asthma is a warning for cardiac problems,pulmonary edema 
is potentially life threatening and needs immediate medical attention.
As with cardiac asthma,the cause of pulmonary edema (PE) is often left sided heart failure,but there
are a number of other possibilities when it comes to PE.Anything that upsets the balance of forces that keep
fluids in the capillaries and out of the lungs can result in PE.A few of other causes of PE are:
Altered capillary permeability due to near-drowning,poisoning,ARDS,smoke inhalation to name a
few;
Increased pulmonary capillary pressure due to cardiac problems like left ventricular failure,fluid
overload,and some non-cardiac problems;
Some other problems include exposure to high altitudes,drug overdose,pulmonary embolism,and
diving accidents;
The classic signs of pulmonary edema are difficult breathing,rapid heart beat,high blood pressure,
and caughing up frothy/pink sputum.Breath sounds are usually moist rales with or without
wheezing.
Some of the tests done to diagnose pulmonary edema include blood tests such as CBC,BUN,creatine,
and serum protein.Urianalysis,arterial blood gases (ABGs),chest X-rays,and electrocardiograms (ECG) and all 
used to assist the physician in narrowing the diagnosis down to PE.
Treatment of the PE involves placing the person on 100 % oxygen,morphine to ease anxiety plus some
beneficial cardiac effects,and furosemide for diuresis.Inhaled bronchodilators and aminophylline IV can help
improve breathing and improve renal function.Other measures that have been used are rotating tourniquets on
three of four limbs and reducing blood volume by 500 ml.
The most important thing to remember about pulmonary edema is that it is a life threatening,medical
emergency and treatment must begin as soon as possible.
                                                 
Rev.0 - 06.04.2002 Page 5 of 5 @ Safety Oceans

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