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