Causes, treatment and prevention of pulmonary edema. Symptoms, causes and treatment of pulmonary edema Providing first aid for pulmonary edema

Pulmonary edema is a pathological condition that is accompanied by the accumulation of aqueous fluid in the alveoli. It often occurs as a severe complication of heart failure, myocardial infarction, hypertension, kidney inflammation, etc. Sometimes pulmonary edema occurs as a result of the patient lying in bed for a long time or pneumonia.

Pulmonary edema: diagnosis

The main signs of edema include: pale skin, rapid pulse, sputum production, shortness of breath, suffocation and wheezing in the lungs. It is difficult for patients to lie down, they are forced to sit, they feel general weakness and are very depressed.

First aid

The first thing that first aid should be aimed at is eliminating suffocation. The patency of the airway must be urgently restored. To do this, you need to transfer the patient to a sitting position. If there is no reason to fear collapse or myocardial infarction, it may be useful to perform bloodletting (up to 300 ml for adult patients and up to 200 ml for children).

The sooner measures for pre-medical care are started, the better for the patient. The patient is given a mixture of oxygen and alcohol vapor to breathe. In this case, alcohol acts as an antifoam agent.

To reduce blood filling in the lungs, tourniquets can be applied to the patient’s limbs. You only need to clamp the veins, maintaining normal arterial blood flow. To verify this, it is enough to feel the pulse in the artery located below the tourniquet.

Applying mustard plasters to the legs and arms also gives good results. Give the patient a nitroglycerin tablet and make sure that he puts it under the tongue until it is completely absorbed and does not swallow. If nitroglycerin has no effect, the next tablet can be taken no earlier than 10 minutes later.

Medical assistance

Medical care for pulmonary edema involves the use of drugs from the group of cardiac glycosides and bloodletting (if it has not already been done). The patient is given an oxygen mask or a mask through which he inhales vapors of alcohol or an alcohol solution of antifomsilane. To remove fluid from the respiratory tract, a catheter is used (it is inserted through the nasopharynx). Good results are obtained by drip injection of a solution of urea and sodium bicarbonate, and slow injection of a solution of pentamine. In case of severe pain, the patient is given an injection of an analgesic (narcotic analgesics can be used) or inhaled with nitrous oxide.

First aid for pulmonary edema is an important factor that influences further treatment and recovery. It allows you to prepare the patient for medical procedures without allowing the pathology to progress. The assistance algorithm is based on alleviating negative symptoms.

Pulmonary edema is accompanied by impaired brain function and oxygen starvation. This condition requires urgent qualified medical care. In severe cases, death is possible.

Briefly about pulmonary edema

Signs of pulmonary edema can be confused with symptoms of other diseases. However, when they occur, a person needs emergency medical care.

General symptoms of the disease:

dry cough;
compression, chest pain;
pale skin;
breathing problems;
confusion, panic, anxiety;
elevated blood pressure;
tachycardia;
increased sweating;
bronchospasms.

When large amounts of fluid accumulate in the lungs, alveolar edema develops. Symptoms are seriously aggravated and can be relieved by sitting with arms outstretched.

Signs of the second stage:

hoarseness, severe cough;
increasing shortness of breath;
bubbling breathing;
intense attacks of suffocation;
there is swelling of the veins in the cervical spine;
skin cyanosis;
significant increase in heart rate (about 160 beats);
confusion;
blood pressure levels decrease;
a feeling of fear of death develops;
the pulse is difficult to palpate;
there is a discharge of sputum of different colors and a foamy structure;

Without medical assistance, coma is possible. Edema with asthmatic attacks provokes destruction of respiratory tract tissue, which can ultimately cause the death of the patient.

First aid before the ambulance arrives

Correct actions will help normalize the condition before the ambulance arrives. Algorithm for providing emergency care:

if asthmatic attacks occur, call an ambulance;
the patient needs to take a sitting or semi-sitting position with his legs down;
place your feet in hot water;
open windows to ensure fresh air circulation in the room;
unbutton and remove clothing that prevents the patient from breathing;
measure blood pressure levels;
if the heart pressure is above 90 mm, give the patient a sublingual nitroglycerin tablet;
to reduce cardiac stress and venous blood retention, tourniquets are placed on the legs;
tourniquets are applied alternately, they can remain on the legs for no more than 20 minutes;
when the blood pressure level returns to normal, it is necessary to get rid of excess fluid in the lungs with the help of diuretics;
inhalation with an aqueous solution of alcohol (30% for children, 96% for adults) will help remove foamy discharge.

Ambulance actions upon arrival and transportation of the victim

The algorithm of actions of the medical workers who came to the call begins with the administration of strong painkillers, for example Morphine, to the patient. Also used are drugs to normalize hydrostatic pressure in the pulmonary circle, diuretics with nitroglycerin. To transport the patient, the following manipulations are carried out:

the patient must be placed on his back so that his torso is slightly elevated;
if diuretics were not used, tourniquets should be applied to the legs, while maintaining the arterial pulse;
oxygen therapy (if necessary, a tube is inserted into the trachea for artificial ventilation of the lungs);
carrying out inhalations with aqueous solutions of alcohol;
every half hour of inhalation, the patient should breathe normal air;
electric suction is used to remove foamy secretions from the upper parts of the lungs;
To eliminate blood clots in the pulmonary arteries, anticoagulants are used to thin the blood;
to normalize heart rate, drugs from the group of cardiac glycosides are used;
if the condition is accompanied by attacks of nausea, vomiting, ventricular tachycardia, glycosides are prohibited;
if swelling is caused by narcotic substances, drugs are used to reduce muscle tone;
with high diastolic pressure, an injection of nitroglycerin is necessary;
Methylprednisolone, Dexamethasone are used to eliminate bronchial symptoms;
with a weakened heart rate (below 50 beats), use Eufillin with Atropine;
for bronchial asthma, pentamine and sodium nitroprusside are used.

Further treatment of the patient

The treatment tactics for pulmonary edema are selected by a doctor in the intensive care unit. It is necessary to regularly monitor the patient's pulse, blood pressure, and respiratory abilities. Any medications are introduced into the body using a catheter.

After stopping the swelling, you need to find the cause that provoked it and choose a treatment method.

A prerequisite is the use of antibiotics and antiviral agents. Treatment is also accompanied by anti-inflammatory, expectorant medications with immunomodulators.

If the cause of edema is intoxication, it is necessary to take a course of medications to eliminate symptoms, sometimes with the use of antiemetics. Diuretic medications in combination with a course of normalizing water-salt balance cannot be ruled out.

Acute edema caused by pancreatitis is eliminated with the help of drugs that weaken pancreatic function. Treatment is carried out comprehensively with enzyme medications and drugs for the regeneration of necrotic lesions.

To eliminate asthmatic symptoms, bronchodilators, glucocorticosteroids, and sputum thinners are prescribed.
For liver cirrhosis, thioctic acid is used.
In case of myocardial infarction, a course of beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and medications to protect against the formation of blood clots is required.

After successful treatment, the patient must undergo regular preventive examinations throughout the year and adhere to the recommendations of the attending physician.

Pulmonary edema is a dangerous pathological condition that, without proper medical measures, can lead to death. To prevent negative consequences, it is important to know the rules of first aid and how to carry out treatment in general.

Pulmonary edema occurs when fluid accumulates in the lungs instead of air. Poor circulation in the lungs, insufficient oxygen supply to the lungs and alveoli, can also cause pathogenesis and a progressive form of pulmonary edema, as well as lead to complications in other interconnected organs and the entire body as a whole.

Often, when receiving a traumatic brain injury, acid and chemical poisoning, or electric shock, the body suffers great stress and stress, which develops into a more progressive form and pathogenesis of another disease. For example, with the above factors, the pathogenesis of lung disease is formed. Excessive accumulation of fluid in the lungs is formed by the influx of fluid that is not absorbed into the vessels.

The initial stage of edema occurs in the interstitium, then it can proceed and pass into the pathogenesis of the alveoli, that is, into alveolar pulmonary edema, which leads to frequent shortness of breath, approximately 40 per minute, lack of oxygen, cough with foamy discharge, wheezing during breathing. This phase and form is the most severe and advanced, which must be identified and provide emergency care for pulmonary edema.

Cause of edema

Basically, the causes are associated with heart failure and disease. However, heart disease does not always lead to pulmonary edema, so two types of the disease are designated and distinguished:

Cardiogenic pulmonary edema;
Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

The first case occurs with pathological overload of the heart, as well as with acute heart failure. Basically, such symptoms are provoked by disease and dysfunction of the ventricle of the heart, disorders and dysfunction of atrial contraction, as well as disturbances in the general pause (diastole) of the heart.

The second case is not associated with improper functioning of the heart. Pulmonary edema may occur during myocardial infarction, when blood stagnates in the vessels of the lung. Fluid can accumulate during illness of other vital organs and those directly related to the normal functioning of the lung. The causes of swelling may be the following:

Toxic damage to alveolar tissue;
Various diseases and defects of the cardiovascular system;
Lung damage and disease - fungal diseases, pneumonia, lung tumors, bronchitis, tuberculosis;
Hemorrhagic acute pulmonary edema – influenza pneumonia;
Diseases with intoxication manifestations - influenza, measles, scarlet fever, laryngitis, whooping cough, diphtheria, etc.

Mechanical factors, such as obstruction of air into the airways, can also cause breathing problems. This is possible when water, foreign objects, asphyxiating gases, or vomiting enter the lungs. This symptom is common with excessive alcohol consumption, frequent and uncontrolled use of medications, frequent heartburn, drug use, poisoning by poisons, gases and other lung damage.

When practicing physical education or any other sport in the cold, in a cold room, deviations may also occur. Kidney diseases, which are responsible for removing excess fluid from the body, are the cause of pulmonary edema. In this case, medical assistance is mandatory and should not be delayed.

Like any disease of the body, pulmonary edema develops and reaches a certain form of neglect and has a stage of the disease:

Acute form - may appear within 2 hours;
The fast or lightning-fast form develops in a matter of time, 2-3 minutes;
The protracted form occurs within a day or 2-3 hours.

Regardless of the stage of the disease, form, cause and pathogenesis, urgent medical attention required, but before the ambulance arrives, first aid to the patient is necessary in order to avoid the development of a more advanced and complex phase. In any case, lung disease is a serious matter and has serious consequences.

Symptoms indicating pulmonary edema

Since the causes and possible pathogenesis have been identified, the symptoms of pulmonary edema can be recognized, and first aid provided can to some extent reduce the risk of complications.

During the advanced phase and development of the disease, shortness of breath appears, increasing over time. Along with shortness of breath, breathing may become faster. It can appear both during physical activity and at rest;

Pulmonary edema can cause oxygen depletion, which leads to disruption in the functionality of other organs. When diagnosing with a stethoscope, characteristic wheezing and even gurgling can be heard, which indicate the accumulation of fluid in the alveoli;

Frequent symptoms of pulmonary edema are dizziness and their frequent occurrence. The patient may feel drowsiness, fatigue;

The pathogenesis of fulminant edema is manifested by a feeling of suffocation and occurs during sleep. Over time, a cough appears, sputum progressively becomes liquid, almost like water;

Breathing becomes more difficult, whistling and wheezing are heard;

The patient's face becomes pale and sweat appears. An emotional breakdown and a mood with thoughts of death may appear;

The attack can last about half an hour and at this time emergency assistance is needed, which must be provided immediately to prevent the death of the patient.

Providing first aid

In most cases, if there is a possibility of problems with the lungs, many do not even know how to behave in this situation and what emergency care should look like for a patient. Regardless of the cause of swelling, the following first aid methods should be applied:

First, the patient needs to restore breathing and so that he does not suffocate, it is best for him to take a sitting position. A nitroglycerin tablet will be in place at this moment; it must be placed under the patient’s tongue until it is completely absorbed. If choking continues, you need to give the next one 10 minutes after the first tablet;

To prevent the spread of the attack and its development, the patient needs to put cups on his back and mustard plasters on his legs;

Until the ambulance arrives, you need to give 20 drops of valerian every 30 minutes. If the person’s condition improves, an expectorant can be given;

Inhalation should be carried out with alcohol vapor 70% for adults, and 30% for children;

In case of high blood pressure, bloodletting is performed - 100-200 ml of blood for children, 200-300 ml for adults;

An oxygen cushion is used to provide oxygen to the respiratory tract.

Emergency care at such a moment is simply necessary and can save the patient’s life; every second counts and can be decisive.

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Ongoing treatment

Pulmonary edema is a very serious disease that carries serious and dangerous consequences. Is not ! Resorting to traditional medicine for this disease is not entirely effective and advisable, since it is most often used for preventive purposes and in the initial stage of the disease.

Basically, in folk medicine, various herbal decoctions are used that promote expectoration of liquid. In severe and dangerous forms of the disease, medical treatment is indispensable.

Diuretics, vasodilators, bloodletting, and tourniquets are used to reduce blood flow to the lungs. To saturate the lungs with oxygen, oxygenation is performed, which allows air to circulate.

In a short time, doctors need to identify the true cause of the problem and choose the right treatment. When providing primary care to a patient, drug treatment is prescribed with the administration of drugs intravenously. Morphine has a beneficial effect on relieving edema.

What can pulmonary edema lead to?

Knowing about disorders in the body, you can prevent the development of the disease and avoid dire consequences. To avoid danger, it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, make timely diagnosis of the body’s condition and identify the disease at the initial stage.

In any case, medical intervention is necessary so that pulmonary edema does not lead to fatal consequences and outcomes. And they can occur, since oxygen deficiency can lead to oxygen starvation of other vital organs.

In cases where the amount of fluid in the lungs significantly exceeds the normal level, we speak of pulmonary edema. It manifests itself as bubbling breathing, suffocation, severe coughing, shortness of breath even in the absence of physical activity.

Description of the disease

A condition characterized by the accumulation of physiological fluid in the alveoli and lungs is called swelling. This syndrome often occurs suddenly and leads to a lack of oxygen in the blood and the development of hypoxia.

The function of the lungs is to saturate the body with an air mixture and participate in the process of gas exchange. Edema develops if the fluid contained in the capillaries moves into the pulmonary alveoli. Organs filled with water instead of air lose their ability to perform their main function. The patient experiences a feeling of tightness in the chest, cyanosis of the skin, acute lack of air, cough accompanied by sputum discharge.

Pulmonary edema is a complication of diseases:

cardiovascular system (myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmia, hypertension, cardiosclerosis, aortic aneurysm, mitral stenosis);
respiratory organs (bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, emphysema, tuberculosis);
infectious origin (influenza, measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough, tetanus);
gastroenterological profile (acute pancreatitis, cirrhosis, intestinal obstruction);
neurological (meningitis, encephalitis).

The condition is often recorded due to chest injuries, poisoning with chemicals and drugs, burns and extensive intoxication of the body.

Kinds

Depending on the reasons that caused the development of this condition, the following are distinguished: types of edema:

hydrostatic develop in conditions when intracapillary hydrostatic pressure increases, and blood plasma enters the intercellular space and then into the alveoli. The main causes are circulatory disorders, cardiac dysfunction, obstructive manifestations, pulmonary embolism;
membranogenic are observed when the integrity of the walls of capillaries or alveoli is violated, with subsequent penetration of fluid into the pulmonary space. The main causes are pneumonia, sepsis, and toxins entering the body.

There are 4 variants of the course of this disease:

fulminant– develops rapidly, in a few minutes. As a rule, it ends in death;
spicy– characterized by a rapid (up to 4 hours) increase in manifestations. Often develops with traumatic brain injury, myocardial infarction, anaphylactic shock;
subacute– characterized by an undulating course, with a gradual increase in symptoms. Most often observed during intoxication of the body of various origins;
protracted– occurs without pronounced clinical signs, typical of chronic diseases of the lungs and cardiovascular system. It can develop over several days.

Causes

The main reasons for the development of pulmonary edema include:

disruption of the functioning of the lymphatic system - leads to a slowdown in the process of fluid removal and, as a result, the occurrence of edema;
acute intoxication of the body. Caused by the ingestion of toxic substances during an overdose of drugs and medications. A number of diseases are also accompanied by the release of toxins, for example, pneumonia, sepsis;
pathologies of the cardiovascular system. They lead to increased pressure in the capillaries and the development of swelling. Observed in myocardial infarction, bronchial asthma, mitral valve disease;
predisposition to the formation of blood clots. The rupture of a blood clot in the pulmonary artery can lead to its blockage, which is the root cause of increased hydrostatic pressure and the development of edema;
diseases characterized by low oncotic pressure, i.e. a decrease in protein levels - cirrhosis, kidney disease;
rapid ascent to altitudes above 3000 m;
chest injuries accompanied by pneumothorax - air entering the body cavity;
traumatic brain injuries;
prolonged artificial ventilation;
uncontrolled intravenous infusion of medications.

Symptoms

In most cases, pulmonary edema develops rapidly and suddenly. Most often this happens at night. Experts attribute this to the horizontal position of a person during sleep. If there is a history of thromboembolism, edema can form at any time of the day.

The most pronounced symptoms of this condition include:

feeling of lack of air, continuous suffocation;
shortness of breath in the absence of physical activity;
increase, decrease or surges in blood pressure;
dull pain in the chest, developing due to insufficient oxygen in the blood;
tachycardia - rapid heartbeat;
frequent bubbling breathing, often accompanied by foam from the mouth;
cough, first rare dry, then paroxysmal with pronounced wheezing;
the skin of the face and nails acquire a bluish tint - cynosis;
pallor of the skin, indicating dysfunction of the left ventricle;
manifestation and enlargement of veins in the neck;
profuse cold sweat;
rapidly increasing confusion, lethargy, often ending in coma.

Before the onset of a coma, the patient experiences a sharp decrease in blood pressure, breathing becomes intermittent and shallow, and the pulse becomes weak.

Urgent Care

Knowledge of first aid methods for pulmonary edema allows you to avoid the development of irreversible complications and prevent death. First of all you need to:

call an ambulance. The possibility of rapid development of the disease should be taken into account and no possible improvement in the patient’s condition should be expected;
sit the person down, giving him a vertical position, with his legs lowered down. It is strictly forbidden to lay the patient horizontally;
get rid of clothes that restrict breathing and movement, take off your tie;
provide access to fresh air;
To reduce the load on the heart muscle, it is recommended to apply tourniquets to the upper thighs for up to 20 minutes. It is important to prevent the pulse from disappearing completely. The procedure can be repeated several times. The application of venous tourniquets is contraindicated if there is a tendency to form blood clots;
take a nitroglycerin tablet to facilitate blood flow;
promptly remove foam produced when coughing. Regular application of a napkin soaked in medical alcohol or vodka to the nose and mouth will help reduce its formation;
provide intravenous administration of a diuretic - a diuretic drug (Lasix) to speed up the process of removing fluid from the lungs;
take a sedative, for example, tincture of valerian or motherwort;
If possible, use an oxygen mask.

Most experts recognize the effectiveness of bloodletting for reducing pressure in the pulmonary circulation, which can significantly reduce congestion in the lungs. The volume of blood withdrawn should not be less than 300 ml.

Other medical procedures are performed in a hospital setting under the strict supervision of resuscitators.

Diagnostics

To properly treat pulmonary edema, it is necessary to reliably determine the cause that caused its occurrence. Before conducting laboratory tests, it is necessary to carefully collect anamnesis. If the patient is unconscious, the clinical manifestations of the disease are assessed. The following methods are used for this:

percussion - tapping the sternum, which allows to identify the presence of a pathological process in the lungs;
listening – allows you to determine the hardness of breathing, the presence of wheezing;
pressure measurement – with edema it is often elevated;
determining the pulse rate - fast frequent beats indicate the possible development of the disease.

Among laboratory research the most informative are:

biochemical blood test - allows you to determine the cause that caused the swelling based on the amount of troponins, total protein, albumin, urea;
coagulogram - determination of blood clotting, which changes with edema caused by thromboembolism.

Instrumental methods allow you to determine the presence of edema and identify the cause:

Pulse oximetry – determination of oxygen content in the blood. Low rates (less than 90%) indicate the presence of the disease;
measurement of pressure in large veins - with edema, the value of central venous pressure exceeds 12 mm/Hg. Art. Produced using a special Waldman phlebotonometer;
radiography - allows you to detect the presence of fluid in the lungs, expansion of the roots of the lungs and the borders of the heart;
an electrocardiogram makes it possible to determine arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia and other diseases;
Ultrasound allows you to visualize problem areas.

Treatment

Pulmonary edema is a serious condition that requires immediate qualified medical care. At the first signs of the development of the disease, it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. Emergency measures include:

giving a person a vertical position (sitting or half-sitting);
application of tourniquets to the lower extremities;
hot foot baths, bloodletting, which help reduce back blood flow to the heart;
additional oxygen supply through defoamers;
transferring the patient to artificial ventilation.

Treatment is carried out in intensive care units. Specialists constantly monitor the patient’s pulse, pressure, and breathing rate, and determine the cause of edema.

Treatment includes:

inhalation of oxygen in combination with ethyl-containing substances that have the ability to extinguish the foam that forms in the lungs. The supply of oxygen through 95% medical alcohol poured into the humidifier is highly effective;
intravenous administration of nitroglycerin is especially recommended for patients with high blood pressure;
administration of Dubotamine or Dopamine (intravenously) to reduce blood pressure;
carrying out sedative therapy through intravenous administration of a 1% morphine solution in an amount of 1 ml;
taking diuretics to quickly remove fluid from the lungs. Furosemide, taken once in an amount of 40 mg, has proven itself well. If necessary, re-use of the drug is allowed;
intravenous administration of atropine (1 mg) for rare heartbeats;
plasma transfusion for low protein levels in the blood;
the use of drugs to improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system (0.06 percent solution of Korglykon);
carrying out detoxification therapy for toxic edema;
taking broad-spectrum antibiotics in the presence of infectious diseases (sepsis, pneumonia).

Most drugs are administered through a catheter directly into the subclavian vein.

After relief of acute symptoms of pulmonary edema, intensive treatment of the underlying disease is performed.

Possible consequences and complications

The consequences of pulmonary edema can be very serious. This condition leads to the development of respiratory failure. Prolonged lack of oxygen has a detrimental effect on the cells of the brain and central nervous system, liver and kidneys. Dysfunction of these organs can cause acute heart failure and lead to death.

The following diseases often occur:

atelectasis;
emphysema;
pneumosclerosis;
congestive pneumonia;
ischemic damage to internal organs.

If the causes of the disease are not identified and completely eliminated, relapses of this condition may occur. The mortality rate from edema ranges from 20 to 50%, and when it develops against the background of a heart attack, it exceeds 90%.

Reliable determination of the cause of pulmonary edema and timely initiation of treatment contributes to a favorable outcome.

What is pulmonary edema? You will also find answers to other questions by watching the video.

Pulmonary edema is considered a serious complication of many cardiac pathologies. Severe intolerance, trauma, or chemical poisoning can also cause a dangerous phenomenon. The person’s condition is rapidly deteriorating, the functioning of the heart muscle and respiratory sections is disrupted. The algorithm for emergency care for pulmonary edema is performed first at home, then in a medical facility.

When the lung tissue swells, it loses its ability to provide oxygen to tissues and organs and remove carbon dioxide from the blood. It is not difficult to identify such a serious condition of a patient if you know its main symptoms. Edema can develop instantly, acutely, subacutely and for a long time.

First of all, the harbingers appear. These include progressive shortness of breath, rapid breathing, frequent coughing attacks, and wet wheezing.

Symptoms that arise against this background.

Pain in the sternum, feeling of squeezing.
Motor activity increases and shortness of breath develops.
There are disturbances in the functioning of the respiratory system. The patient does not have enough air, frequent ventricular contractions are noted. Breathing becomes loud, frequent and gusty.
Cold sweat appears on the body, it takes on a bluish color.
At the beginning, the cough is dry, then the mucus begins to come out. As a result, the sputum acquires a foamy consistency and a pinkish color.
In severe conditions, foam is released from the nasal passages and the person suffocates.
The patient is very frightened, his consciousness becomes cloudy. As clinical signs intensify, the pulse decreases.
Blueness appears on the lips, moist wheezing is clearly audible.

During the transient stage, all dangerous signs develop quickly. Due to the sudden onset, it is extremely difficult to save a life with this form. First aid for pulmonary edema of a protracted type is much more effective than for a rapid phase.

First aid

Providing assistance for pulmonary edema must be timely, only then there is a chance to normalize the condition with minimal risks. Sometimes death can occur after 1.5-2 hours. Before the medical team arrives, a number of manipulations are required to help stabilize the condition and reduce the risk of death.

In case of pulmonary edema, the following algorithm of actions is required.

Place the person in a position that is comfortable for him.
Bandage your arms and legs with a tourniquet. Make sure that the bandage is not tightened too tightly.
Give the person Nitroglycerin under the tongue or Aspirin.
Check the patient's blood pressure.

The victim can provide initial assistance to himself, or to his relatives or friends.

It is important to sit in a comfortable position to make it easier to breathe and reduce congestion.

Tips on behavior during pulmonary edema.

It's better to sit down with your legs down. This will make it possible to eliminate or slow down shortness of breath. In a semi-sitting position, pressure in the sternum decreases.
Hypoxemia occurs when the respiratory tract swells. It is necessary to ensure access of oxygen to the blood. To do this, open the windows in the room where the victim is located.
The first emergency aid for pulmonary edema at home is used using nitrates. Such medications contribute to the expansion of the coronary arteries and increase plasma saturation of the myocardium. Nitroglycerin is more effective for edema that occurs simultaneously with an acute infarction.

It is important to increase blood circulation to the heart muscle and reduce peripheral blood volume.

To do this, the arms and legs are tied with strong tourniquets (from a towel, a thermometer cuff). First aid for pulmonary edema will buy time until an emergency medical team arrives.

Reducing the amount of foam blocking the airways

Use alcohol vapor, it will reduce the volume of foam. Apply a towel soaked in alcohol to the nose or mouth area, or use an inhaler.

Emergency care for cardiac asthma and pulmonary edema involves performing resuscitation measures in case of cardiac arrest. Indirect massage should be carried out by pressing on the sternum at least 100-120 times every 60 seconds. They resort to using a defibrillator with a monophasic or diphasic pulse shape.

The bandages are placed at the very top of the leg, up to the thigh. Thanks to this event, the cardiac load is reduced.

Technique for applying venous tourniquets for pulmonary edema.

Take a sitting position with your legs hanging to the floor, sit like this for 5-10 minutes.
Application of tourniquets for pulmonary edema on the legs is performed at the same time. They should be located at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from the groin. Any fabric can be placed under the elastic band.
At the same time, the bandage is applied to the right arm in the shoulder area. It should be stretched enough so that blood flow through the veins is free.
You should check your pulse regularly, every 20 minutes.

The condition of your legs and arms should be constantly monitored. Focus on the skin tone in the area where the tourniquet is located. If pale skin is noted, this indicates trophic failures in the tissues; the elastic band should be loosened.

Qualified medical care

Doctors perform complex manipulations.

First aid for pulmonary edema in a hospital setting is aimed at achieving the following goals:

normalization of high blood pressure;
restoration of heart rhythm;
correction of acid and bile levels.

List of medications used.

For a heart attack, Nitroglycerin diluted with 500 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride solution, also Clopidogrel, Heparin, are indicated. The functioning of the heart is normalized with the help of thiazide diuretics, Strophanthin or Korglykon is prescribed. In case of severe pain, the patient is given antispasmodics, in severe situations - Promedol.
For arrhythmia - antiarrhythmic medications - Verapamil, Metoprolol, Atropine.
Hypertensive crisis - nitrates and Furosemide are injected into a vein.
Various diseases of an infectious nature - antibacterial drugs are indicated.
The allergic nature is eliminated with anti-allergic medications and glucocorticosteroids.
Hypoalbumenia, detection of insufficient amount of protein - Albumin is administered intravenously.
If blood pressure is elevated, ganglion blockers are indicated; they reduce tension on the heart muscle. Effective medications of this series include Pentamin and Benzohexonium.
Oxygen therapy is administered.

If necessary, neuroleptanalgesia is performed to calm the person. If an attack of bronchial asthma occurs, adrenergic agonists are indicated - Salbutamol. If sepsis develops, the patient is given antibacterial drugs.

When there is a tendency to heart pathologies, the risk of death is extremely high. This condition occurs more often in older people. Weakened protective functions of the body and possible chronic pathologies aggravate the condition and prognosis.

Upon completion of emergency care, therapeutic treatment of swelling of the respiratory muscles is carried out. The patient should adhere to the following recommendations:

follow a salt-free diet, give up fatty foods and sweets;
avoid physical stress;
Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.

When emergency care for pulmonary edema is carried out in the correct algorithm of actions, subsequent therapy will bring positive results. After the treatment course, the person remains under the outpatient supervision of a doctor. Therapy for edema lasts depending on the type of pathology (cardiogenic, non-cardiogenic), the presence of concomitant diseases, the general condition of the body and the age of the patients. Typically, complete recovery occurs within 7-15 days, if the pathology proceeds without complications.