Flash pulmonary edema

In medicine, flash pulmonary edema (FPE), is rapid onset pulmonary edema. It is most often precipitated by acute myocardial infarction or mitral regurgitation, but can be caused by aortic regurgitation, heart failure, or almost any cause of elevated left ventricular filling pressures. Treatment of FPE should be directed at the underlying cause, but the mainstays are ensuring adequate oxygenation, diuresis, and decrease of pulmonary circulation pressures.

Reoccurrence of FPE is thought to be associated with hypertension [Kramer K, Kirkman P, Kitzman D, Little WC. Flash pulmonary edema: association with hypertension and reoccurrence despite coronary revascularization. Am Heart J. 2000 Sep;140(3):451-5. PMID 10966547.] and may signify renal artery stenosis. [Pickering TG, Herman L, Devereux RB, Sotelo JE, James GD, Sos TA, Silane MF, Laragh JH. Recurrent pulmonary oedema in hypertension due to bilateral renal artery stenosis: treatment by angioplasty or surgical revascularisation. "Lancet" 1988;2(8610):551-2. PMID 2900930.] Prevention of reoccurrence is based on managing hypertension, coronary artery disease, renovascular hypertension, and heart failure.

References

ee also

*Pulmonary edema
*Myocardial infarction

External links

* [http://patients.uptodate.com/topic.asp?file=hrt_fail/2458 Flash pulmonary edema] - UpToDate.com
* [http://heartdisease.about.com/od/livingwithheartfailure/a/diastolichf_2.htm Diastolic dysfunction] - heartdisease.about.com