T he barrier between pulmonary capillaries and alveolar gas consists of a series of three anatomical layers with distinct structural characteristics. The cytoplasmic projections of the capillary endothelial cells represent the first layer of this barrier and overlap to form a continuous cytoplasmic tube. At the overlapping junctions of these cytoplasmic projections are clefts of varying sizes (...

Pulmonary extravascular fluid volume (PEV) has been estimated by using a double isotope technique in nine normal subjects and 45 patients with valvular heart disease. The method was reproducible, the standard deviation being + 15.2 ml/m2, or 11.2% of the mean. Groups of patients with aortic and mitral valve disease had significantly higher values of PEV than normal persons; some patients with p...

1. Bilateral cervical vagotomy in rabbits soon leads to death, usually within 8 to 24 hours. 2. Gradually increasing dyspnea, crises with expulsion of frothy, serous or sanguineous fluid from the mouth and nose, and terminal asphyxia are the important clinical features. 3. Postmortem examination reveals severe acute pulmonary edema and congestion, variable amounts of bronchopneumonia, and evide...

A 69-year-old man with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) was on amblatory oxygen inhalation therapy (3 L/min) and scheduled for percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty (PTPA). The patient's New York Heart Association functional status was class III with recent worsening of dyspnea and apparent leg edema. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed right ventricular enlar...

The role of portable, anteroposterior, supine chest X-rays (CXRs) in distinguishing hydrostatic pulmonary edema (HPE) from permeability pulmonary edema (PPE) in mechanically ventilated patients is controversial. We prospectively obtained and evaluated such CXRs in 33 supine, mechanically ventilated intensive-care-unit patients with pulmonary artery catheters. Three chest radiologists independen...

OBJECTIVE Pulmonary edema is frequently observed after a successful resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. Currently, its risk factors and prognostic implications are mostly unknown. METHODS Adult OHCA patients with a presumed cardiac etiology who achieved sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in emergency department were retrospectively analyzed. The pa...

BACKGROUND Pulmonary edema (PE) can occur in the early or late period following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The incidence of each type of PE is unknown and the association with ventricular dysfunction, both systolic and diastolic, has not been described. METHODS Retrospective chart review of 178 consecutive patients with SAH surgically treated over a three-year period. Patients with pulmon...

Negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) or postobstructive pulmonary edema (POPE) is a form of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema that results from the generation of high negative intrathoracic pressure needed to overcome upper airway obstruction 1. It typically develops rapidly and can be life-threatening if not diagnosed promptly. Following an episode of acute airway obstruction or the relief of...