User:Mr. Ibrahem/Pulmonary edema

Pulmonary edema is fluid accumulation in the tissue and air spaces of the lungs. Symptoms may include shortness of breath and pink frothy sputum. Wheezing or lung crackles may also be present. Complications may include respiratory failure.

It may occur due to heart failure (cardiogenic) or injury to the lung tissue (non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema). Heart failure may occur due to a heart attack, myocarditis, valvular heart disease, or heart arrythmias. Lung injury may been seen with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and result from pneumonia, pancreatitis, or multiple blood transfusions. The underlying mechanism involves impaired gas exchange. Diagnosis may be supported by lab tests and medical imaging.

Treatment is focused on improving symptoms and addressing the underlying cause. Additional efforts in cardiogenic pulmonary edema may involve diuretics such as furosemide, efforts to decrease afterload such as nitroglycerin, and non-invasive ventilation. Additional efforts in non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema involves supportive care such as oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation.

Pulmonary edema is relatively common. Cardiogenic cases affects more than a million people a year in the United States while non-cardiogenic cases affect about 190,000. The risk of death when hospitalized has decreased from 60% in 1970s to 30% in the 1990s. Pulmonary edema has been described since at least the time of Hippocrates around 400 BC. The term edema is from the Greek οἴδημα (oídēma) meaning "swelling".