Pulmonary edema is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the lungs, usually caused by heart failure which increases pressure in the lungs and pushes fluid into the air spaces. Symptoms include shortness of breath, anxiety, cold skin, cough, and low blood oxygen levels. It is diagnosed through chest x-rays, ultrasound of the heart, and low blood oxygen measurements. Treatment focuses on oxygen therapy, diuretics, positioning the patient upright, and monitoring their fluid balance and medications closely.
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Pulmonary edema is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the lungs, usually caused by heart failure which increases pressure in the lungs and pushes fluid into the air spaces. Symptoms include shortness of breath, anxiety, cold skin, cough, and low blood oxygen levels. It is diagnosed through chest x-rays, ultrasound of the heart, and low blood oxygen measurements. Treatment focuses on oxygen therapy, diuretics, positioning the patient upright, and monitoring their fluid balance and medications closely.
Pulmonary edema is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the lungs, usually caused by heart failure which increases pressure in the lungs and pushes fluid into the air spaces. Symptoms include shortness of breath, anxiety, cold skin, cough, and low blood oxygen levels. It is diagnosed through chest x-rays, ultrasound of the heart, and low blood oxygen measurements. Treatment focuses on oxygen therapy, diuretics, positioning the patient upright, and monitoring their fluid balance and medications closely.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Pulmonary edema is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the lungs, usually caused by heart failure which increases pressure in the lungs and pushes fluid into the air spaces. Symptoms include shortness of breath, anxiety, cold skin, cough, and low blood oxygen levels. It is diagnosed through chest x-rays, ultrasound of the heart, and low blood oxygen measurements. Treatment focuses on oxygen therapy, diuretics, positioning the patient upright, and monitoring their fluid balance and medications closely.
Copyright:
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
fluid in the lungs. The fluid may accumulate in the interstitial spaces or in the alveoli. PULMONARY EDEMA
Pulmonary edema 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. Clinical Manifestations restless and anxious breathlessness and a sense of suffocation hands become cold and moist cyanotic nail beds skin turns ashen (gray) weak and rapid pulse distended neck veins Incessant coughing mucoid sputum (blood-tinged, frothy fluid ) confused stuporous breathing is rapid, noisy, and moist sounding. oxygen levels (saturation) are significantly decreased Assessment and Diagnostic Findings Blood oxygen levels -- low in patients with pulmonary edema
Chest x-ray -- may reveal fluid in or around the lung space or an
enlarged heart
Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram) -- may show a weak
heart muscle, leaky or narrow heart valves, or fluid surrounding the heart Prevention Like most complications, pulmonary edema is easier to prevent than to treat. To recognize it in its early stages, the nurse: auscultates the lung fields and heart sounds, measures JVD, and assesses the degree of peripheral edema and the severity of breathlessness.
Early indicators of developing pulmonary edema
dry, hacking cough; fatigue weight gain; development or worsening of edema decreased activity tolerance In an early stage, the condition may be corrected by placing the patient in an upright position with the feet and legs dependent, eliminating overexertion, and minimizing emotional stress to reduce the left ventricular load.
Long-range approach to preventing pulmonary edema must be directed at
identifying its precipitating factors. Medical Management PHARMACOLOGIC THERAPY Oxygen Therapy Morphine Diuretics Dobutamine Milrinone Nesiritide Nursing Management POSITIONING THE PATIENT TO PROMOTE CIRCULATION The patient is positioned upright, preferably with the legs dangling over the side of the bed. PROVIDING PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT MONITORING MEDICATIONS
NURSING ALERT Because of the resulting diuresis, the patient’s
electrolyte levels, especially potassium and sodium, need to be monitored closely. Fluid balance in some patients is very brittle; they easily become hypovolemic or hypervolemic with small changes in the amount of circulating fluid. Falling blood pressure, increasing heart rate, and decreasing urine output indicate that the circulatory system is not tolerating diuresis and that measures must be taken to reverse the fluid imbalance that has occurred. Serum creatinine is monitored to assess renal function. Men with prostatic hyperplasia must be observed for signs of urinary retention.