Pulmonary Edema

Question: What are the clinical findings of a person that has pulmonary edema? I know what it is....PLEASE don't cut and paste long article. Please. just wondering if anyone knows some of the things you would look for. someone could develop pulmonary edema pretty fast, huh? you would hear crackles/rales and hear a lub-dub-dub (3 sounds) heart beat. am i right? what r some of the other things you might find-if they were developing it fast? or if you suspected it? what would make u suspect it?

Answer: Shortness of breath. , Drop in 02 sats. Some patients become disoriented from the lack of oxygen,, combative if you can believe it. Your would hear rales (crackles) in ALL lung fields. A gurgling sound at the back of the throat. Decreased 02 sats. nails beds would take on a blue to purple tint, extremities become mottled. Progresses to pink frothy secretions from the mouth and sometimes the nose. Confirmed on a CXR ( but lets face it any healthcare professional will know without it) Immediate administration of lasix, foley catheter to monitor output. Intubation is seriously considered at this point.

Question: Why doesn't the body immediately fail during pulmonary edema? How is it possible for the body to sustain itself while displaying edema (either pulmonary or dependent) without suffering immediate shock, ischemia, or any of the other consequences that come to mind when thinking about a failing circulation of blood? "Chronicity"?: But what about cases of AMI/CHF that involve pulmonary edema? Isn't this a sudden onset in which the body doesn't necessarilly go into cardiogenic shock?

Answer: If any insult to the body develops slowly --over weeks, months or longer, the body adapts to accommodate the changes. In the case of pulmonary edema, the left sided chambers of the heart then the pulmonary vessels dilate, or widen, to allow for the excess fluid to accumulate with spilling into the lung tissue itself. Once they have dilated to max, changes begin to occur on the right side of the heart and in the rest of the venous blood system. The key to the body not going into shock is the chronicity of the problem--given time the body will try to adapt until it no longer is able. Begin edit: In the acute setting, if the pateint does not have an underlying chronic component of heart failure and/or pulmonary hypertension, there is a much shorter time frame for the body to compensate--therefore the person does go into shock & cannot effective exchange gases in the lungs.

Question: pulmonary edema? What is that? And what are the syptoms?? Thanks!

Answer: Pulmonary Edema is caused by what is known as heart failure. It is a little misleading however, the heart is not truly failing, it just isnt working as well as it should be. The heart has 4 main chambers upper 2 are called ventricles and lower 2 are called atriums. The left ventricle is the work horse of the heart. It's what pumps the blood through our entire body. If this left ventricle starts to decrease its output blood actually starts to "pool". This pooling happens not only in the lower extremities due to the effects of gravity but also in the lungs, where blood goes to receive oxygen before it is pumped through our body again by the left ventricle. This pooling causes people to experience difficulty in breathing, pale skin coloring, and maybe even coughing up blood. The treatment is traditionally a diuretic which removes excess fluid through the kidneys. If symptoms get bad enough a person may need to be put on what is called "assistive ventilations". With this air is actually forced into the lungs with each breath to help force the excess fluid out of the lungs... Hope this helps...

Question: What is the best treatment for pulmonary edema if the person has renal failure? The person is currently treating it through hemodialysis. Is there any other way to manage it?

Answer: Depending on how bad the renal failure is (how high the creatinine runs), small doses of lasix or other diuretics can be given to rid the body of excess fluid. The dialysis is to treat the kidney failure. It's a tough balancing act for the doctors., and it sounds like "end stage renal disease", which will ultimately (a month, a year, 10 years) likely be the cause of the patients death.

Question: How long can a person li having been diagnosed with pulmonary edema? this person was a smoker up until 6 months ago and is the age of 66 and a female.

Answer: Pulmonary edema literally means swelling or liquid in the lungs. If not treated aggressively it is fatal. It is more a symptom than a disease entity and is usually a result of heart failure rather than lung problems. It can be chronic but is usually something that happens intermittently and people can live for years with it if it is managed well. Treatment involves diuretics, or drugs to help the body rid excess fluid, and meds to improve the pumping capacity/efficiency of the heart.

Question: Whats the difference between pneumonia and pulmonary edema?

Answer: There's a big difference. Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs. Pulmonary edema is fluid filling the lungs.

Question: How does bacteria cause a pulmonary edema? Plain and simple please.

Answer: The bacteria don't cause the PE directly. They initiate your immune system reaction, which causes the pulmonary edema via cytokines.

Question: My husband has Pulmonary Edema and we want to have a baby. If we concieve, will the baby be effected? Im just a little affraid that the baby might be unhealthy when born. Can anyone help?

Answer: It depends on why he has pulmonary edema. If it's some kind of hereditary issue that can be passed on through genes, then the baby might be at risk for lung disease. But if he has pulmonary edema from, say, congestive heart failure because of smoking or other preventable factors, then the baby wouldn't have that problem. If your husband has a preventable disease, then the baby should be fine. But if your husband was born with a congenital predisposition toward lung disease or some kind of condition that gives him pulmonary edema, then the baby should be monitored carefully for lung issues (but it's no guarantee that the baby will actually develop a disease.)

Question: Are pulmonary edema and a pulmonary embolism the same thing? If not, what distinguishes the two? Trying to study for my NCLEX test. Any info would be great, thanks!

Answer: Nan is somewhat right about the 2. She is right that they are not the same, but pulmonary edema is an abnormal build up of fluids which LEADS TO SWELLING. It is usually caused by heart failure. As the heart fails, pressure in the vein going through the lungs starts to rise. As the pressure increases, fluid is pushed into the air spaces (alveoli). This fluid interrupts normal oxygen movement through the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath. Pulmonary edema may be caused by damage directly to the lung, such as that caused by poisonous gas or severe infection. Lung damage and a build up of body fluid is also seen in kidney failure. Pulmonary edema may also be a complication of a heart attack, leaking or narrowed heart valves (mitral or aortic valves), or any disease of the heart that either results in weakening or stiffening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). A pulmonary EMBOLISM is a sudden blockage in a lung artery. The cause is usually a blood clot in the leg called a deep vein thrombosis that breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lung. Pulmonary embolism is a serious condition that can cause (1)Permanent damage to the affected lung (2)Low oxygen levels in your blood (3)Damage to other organs in your body from not getting enough oxygen If a clot is large, or if there are many clots, pulmonary embolism can cause death. If you need more on symptoms, tests, and Treatment of these 2, let me know and I will send you that information. I did not know if you needed them so I left them out..... so you would not have to read my answer all day. LOL!!!

Question: Is morphine in anyway used to help with pulmonary edema? I was reading up on morphine in my IV book and it said something like "adjunt pulmonary edema". Didn't really understand it. Ever since day 1 of nursing school, we were taught about morphine and it's effect on respiratory system. anyways I thought about it and thought that maybe if a person has pulmonary edema and they are getting anxious (& hyperventilating) - they might give them morphine to calm them down and slow the respers...so that the respers could be more effective???? this is just a guess. But I was wondering why my book would say that, and the rationale behind it. THANKS!!!!

Answer: to lower blood pressure and try and get some of that fluid out of the lungs and the interstitiam back into the blood stream

Question: How can increased water consumption cause pulmonary edema?

Answer: pulmonary edema is caused by fluid volume overload, not by drinking too much. there is an underlying medical condition that you must have. most people with pulmonary edema are on diuretics. have you been diagnosed with anything that would cause pulmonary edema? this is usually congestive heart failure

Question: Can Neurogenic Pulmonary Edema occur in patients with a CNS injury but not brain stem injury? If yes: why?

Answer: Neurogenic Pulmonary Edema is a common complication of both CNS and brain injuries.

Question: What does noncardiac pulmonary edema do to your body?

Answer: Non-heart-related pulmonary edema is caused by lung problems like pneumonia, an excess of intravenous fluids, some types of kidney disease, bad burns, liver disease, nutritional problems, and Hodgkin's disease. Non-heart-related pulmonary edema can also be caused by other conditions where the lungs do not drain properly, and conditions where the respiratory veins are blocked. Early symptoms of pulmonary edema include: shortness of breath upon exertion sudden respiratory distress after sleep difficulty breathing, except when sitting upright coughing In cases of severe pulmonary edema, these symptoms will worsen to: labored and rapid breathing frothy, bloody fluid containing pus coughed from the lungs (sputum) a fast pulse and possibly serious disturbances in the heart's rhythm (atrial fibrillation, for example) cold, clammy, sweaty, and bluish skin a drop in blood pressure resulting in a thready pulse Diagnosis A doctor can usually diagnose pulmonary edema based on the patient's symptoms and a physical exam. Patients with pulmonary edema will have a rapid pulse, rapid breathing, abnormal breath and heart sounds, and enlarged neck veins. A chest x ray is often used to confirm the diagnosis. Arterial blood gas testing may be done. Sometimes pulmonary artery catheterization is performed to confirm that the patient has pulmonary edema and not a disease with similar symptoms (called adult respiratory distress syndrome or "noncardiogenic pulmonary edema"). Treatment Pulmonary edema requires immediate emergency treatment. Treatment includes: placing the patient in a sitting position, oxygen, assisted or mechanical ventilation (in some cases), and drug therapy. The goal of treatment is to reduce the amount of fluid in the lungs, improve gas exchange and heart function, and, where possible, to correct the underlying disease. To help the patient breathe better, he/she is placed in a sitting position. High concentrations of oxygen are administered. In cases where respiratory distress is severe, a mechanical ventilator and a tube down the throat (tracheal intubation) will be used to improve the delivery of oxygen. Non-invasive pressure support ventilation is a new treatment for pulmonary edema in which the patient breathes against a continuous flow of positive airway pressure, delivered through a face or nasal mask. Non-invasive pressure support ventilation decreases the effort required to breath, enhances oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, and increases cardiac output. Drug therapy could include morphine, nitroglycerin, diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and vasodilators. Vasopressors are used for cardiogenic shock. Morphine is very effective in reducing the patient's anxiety, easing breathing, and improving blood flow. Nitroglycerin reduces pulmonary blood flow and decreases the volume of fluid entering the overloaded blood vessels. Diuretics, like furosemide (Lasix), promote the elimination of fluids through urination, helping to reduce pressure and fluids in the blood vessels. ACE inhibitors reduce the pressure against which the left ventricle must expel blood. In patients who have severe hypertension, a vasodilator such as nitroprusside sodium (Nipride) may be used. For cardiogenic shock, an adrenergic agent (like dopamine hydrochloride [Intropin], dobutamine hydrochloride [Dobutrex], or epinephrine) or a bipyridine (like amrinone lactate [Inocor] or milrinone lactate [Primacor]) are given. Prognosis Most patients with pulmonary edema who seek immediate treatment can be treated quickly and effectively. ______________________

Question: How does high blood pressure cause pulmonary edema?

Answer: Its all about pressures. There are semipermeable membranes between the vascular system and the lungs. This allows gas such as oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass through. If the pressure in the vascular system is high it can cause fluid/blood/plasma and waste materials to be pushed through into the air sacs. This would be pulmonary edema.

Question: care plan on congestive heart failure? and care plan on pulmonary edema? please i need the solution as soon as possible. i dont need question. i need ans please.

Answer: Weigh the pts daily and if their weight goes up more than 2 lbs in a day or 5 lbs in a week, call the doctor Accurate intake and output is important to determine if the pt is retaining water Low salt diet to reduce water retention Vital signs every 4 hours while in the hospital Listen to lung sounds to determine if the pt has rales or abnormal sounds which indicate CHF Pulse oximetry should be checked to make sure the pts having adequate oxygenation. Usually it should be above 95% or close to it. Pay close attention to the pts respiratory rate to determine if they are tachypneic. It they have an 02 saturation of 95% and respiratory rate is high (above 20) They need oxygen applied to slow down there respirations and help them breath Monitor there lab values, especially the sodium, potassium and the creatinine since all of these can be adversely affected by CHF or the medications given for CHF. Make sure the pt is taking there medications as directed. Many elderly people quit taking there diuretics because it makes them have to walk to the bathroom often. They dont seem to understand sometimes if they dont take it, they are going to go into CHF. Check them for pitting edema Elevate their legs if they can tolerate it to make the swelling go down. Check for neck vein distention which is an indicator of fluid overload Call the result of the pts BNP to the MD. He should already know what it is. I could go on and on and on....

Question: What is pulmonary edema ? And what are the symptoms for pulmonary edema and why do some people get pulmonary edema and other people do not. Can smoking and having bad food do that or being fat?

Answer: Pulmonary edema is the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. People who are at a higher risk for it are those with CHF, other heart related problems and kidney failure. Yes, smoking and bad diet can lead to this. Any fatty build up in the arteries or any damage caused from smoking will cause the heart to not pump as effectively thus causing a backup of fluid. The fluid has nowhere else to go. so it backs up into the lungs. When the kidneys are not filtering properly, they too can cause a back up. When someone is experiencing pulmonary edema, they are usually short of breath and their o2 sats are low. This is all due to the poor gas exchange occuring in the lungs due to the fluid. Sometimes an individual has to be intubated in severe cases. They usually stay on the vent until the fluid is off of their lungs and they are stable again. For those that can be treated without a vent, they are usually given O2 and lasix to help pull the fluid off. Any more questions, feel free to email me. Oh btw... pulmonary edema knows no age. My husband's godfather is 47 years old. He is a really big smoker and is otherwise in good shape. He was admitted to the hospital about a month ago for pulmonary edema.