Pulmonary Oedema

Pulmonary oedema is defines as a rapid transudation of fluid out of the pulmonary capillaries into the interstitial spaces, alveoli and bronchioles, beyond the capacity of the drainage system of the lungs. It is one type of diseases of the cardio vascular system. The two different types are cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic .Cardiogenic pulmonary oedema is transudation of fluid, macromolecules and red blood cells from the pulmonary capillaries into initially the intrestitium and later alveoli and bronchioles. Various factors which operate in the development of pulmonary oedema can be summarized as follows: Elevated pulmonary capillary pressure favoring transduction of fluid, Widening of the pulmonary endothelial intercellular junctions, allowing passage of fluid, macromolecules and red blood cells into the intrestitium, Disruption of the intercellular junctions between the alveolar lining cells ,allowing fluid , macromolecules and red blood cells to enter the alveoli. Some clinical features of acute pulmonary oedema are Severe dysponea and orthopnoea, cough which is initially dry, but later with copious, pinkish frothy expectoration, cold bluish extremities, bilateral scattered rhonchi, signs of underlying heart disease, tachypnonea etc. The following treatment should be taken to prevent this disease they are monitoring the intra-arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular pressures, correcting of precipitating causes like infection or arrhythmias.