Pulmonary Edema Research Paper

Matt Jordan
Respiratory Therapy Science I
Pulmonary Edema The human lungs are a pair of organs that are crucial in sustaining life. They work hand in hand with the heart and are essential in delivering oxygen to your entire body, and without it you will die. The lungs are durable and tough organs; however there are many diseases or conditions that can complicate the process of delivering oxygen to your body causing significant injury or even death. Pulmonary edema is one of these many diseases that has the possibility to greatly influence the capability of your lungs to function appropriately. According to the Mayo Clinic, a pulmonary edema is essentially a buildup of fluid in the lungs that shouldn’t be there. There are two types of pulmonary …show more content…
Cardiogenic pulmonary edema is caused by increased pressure in your heart. When blood is on its way back to the heart via veins, it enters the right side which in turn pumps the blood to the lungs to pickup oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide. After that, it is transported via the pulmonary vein to the left side of the heart which then pumps the blood out to the rest of the body, known as systemic circulation. Sometimes the left side of the heart is too weak to pump all of the blood out, resulting in a ‘backup’ of blood. This is called congestive heart failure. This backup of blood increases the pressure in the left side of the heart which in turn increases the pressure in the pulmonary veins and then the capillaries in the lungs. This pressure buildup causes fluid to move to the alveoli from the capillary walls. According to Beachey (2013), the fluid that enters the alveoli disrupts alveolar surfactant systems, causing atelectasis. This also causes lung compliance to decrease. There are many reasons why someone may develop congestive heart failure. Coronary artery disease is a big one. This occurs when there is a blood …show more content…
Some tests can show signs of pulmonary edema before it even occurs. According to Kacmarek, Stoller, and Heuer, changes can be seen on chest films before the edema occurs. Due to increasing pressure, the pulmonary veins will seem enlarged which means pressure is starting to build. Other tests performed after suspected pulmonary edema include chest x-rays, pulse oximetry, blood tests, and certain heart tests including electrocardiograms and echocardiograms. Chest x-rays can show fluid buildup and how much there is, pulse oximetry measures your body’s oxygen saturation level, and heart tests can show any problems with the muscles of the heart. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, treatment can be started to cure the cause of the

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