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Flash pulmonary oedema can occur as a result of multiple triggers that may act independently or in concert. One such precipitating factor is bilateral renal artery stenosis which can be treated either with revascularisation or with medical therapy. Unilateral renal artery stenosis, however, is a rare cause of flash pulmonary oedema, especially when the contralateral kidney is still functional. We describe a case of an elderly woman with a history of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and multiple hospitalisations for hypertensive crisis and flash pulmonary oedema who was found to have right, ostial renal artery stenosis that was treated with stent placement.

© The Author(s) 2021. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, Purpose: Fluid management is challenging in malaria patients given the risks associated with intravascular fluid depletion and iatrogenic fluid overload leading to pulmonary oedema. Given the limitations of the physical examination in guiding fluid therapy, we evaluated point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and lungs as a novel tool to assess volume status and detect early oedema in malaria patients. Methods: To assess the correlation between IVC and lung ultrasound (LUS) indices and clinical signs of hypovolaemia and pulmonary oedema, respectively, concurrent clinical and sonographic examinations were performed in an observational study of 48 malaria patients and 62 healthy participants across age groups in Gabon. Results: IVC collapsibility index (CI) ≥ 50% on enrolment reflecting intravascular fluid depletion was associated with an increased number of clinical signs of hypovolaemia in severe and uncomplicated malaria. With exception of dry mucous membranes, IVC-CI correlated with most clinical signs of hypovolaemia, most notably sunken eyes (r = 0.35, p = 0.0001) and prolonged capillary refill (r = 0.35, p = 0.001). IVC-to-aorta ratio ≤ 0.8 was not associated with any clinical signs of hypovolaemia on enrolment. Among malaria patients, a B-pattern on enrolment reflecting interstitial fluid was associated with dyspnoea (p = 0.0003), crepitations and SpO2 ≤ 94% (both p < 0.0001), but not tachypnoea (p = 0.069). Severe malaria patients had increased IVC-CI (p < 0.0001) and more B-patterns (p = 0.004) on enrolment relative to uncomplicated malaria and controls. Conclusion: In malaria patients, POCUS of the IVC and lungs may improve the assessment of volume status and detect early oedema, which could help to manage fluids in these patients.

Re-expansion Pulmonary oedema (RPE) is a rare but potentially fatal complication, which can arise after a rapid decompressive treatment of pulmonary collapse secondary to pleural effusion, pneumothorax or atelectasis. The pathophysiological mechanism is still poorly understood, admitting a

Pickering's syndrome is a clinical entity described in 1988 that consists of the presentation of recurrent and predominantly nocturnal acute flash pulmonary oedema and arterial hypertension secondary to bilateral renal artery stenosis or unilateral in single-kidney patients. We describe the case of a 74-year-old man who, after percutaneous exclusion treatment of an aortic infrarenal aneurysm, developed Pickering syndrome due to haemodynamic obstruction of the left renal artery because of the aortic endoprosthesis; with satisfactory clinical evolution after revascularization.

Aims Patient‐performed lung ultrasound (LUS) in a heart failure (HF) telemedicine model may be used to monitor worsening pulmonary oedema and to titrate therapy, potentially reducing HF admission. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of training HF patients to perform a LUS self‐exam in a telemedicine model. Methods and results A pilot study was conducted at a public hospital involving subjects with a history of HF. After a 15 min training session involving a tutorial video, subjects performed a four‐zone LUS using a handheld ultrasound. Exams were saved on a remote server and independently reviewed by two LUS experts. Studies were determined interpretable according to a strict definition: the presence of an intercostal space, and the presence of A‐lines, B‐lines, or both. Subjects also answered a questionnaire to gather feedback and assess self‐efficacy. The median age of 44 subjects was 53 years (range, 36–64). Thirty (68%) were male. Last educational level attained was high school or below for 31 subjects (70%), and one‐third used Spanish as their preferred language. One hundred fifty of 175 lung zones (85%) were interpretable, with expert agreement of 87% and a kappa of 0.49. 98% of subjects reported that they could perform this LUS self‐exam at home. Conclusions This pilot study reports that training HF patients to perform a LUS self‐exam is feasible, with reported high self‐efficacy. This supports further investigation into a telemedicine model using LUS to reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations associated with HF.

Background and Aims: Appropriate volume assessment and fluid management can prevent maternal deaths in the severely pre-eclamptic (SPE) parturients. We planned a systematic review and meta-analysis (MA) to evaluate the role and ability of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the assessment of volume status and early detection of lung oedema in an SPE parturient. Methods: An e-literature search was done from several databases. Data were extracted under five domains including POCUS-derived parameters like echo comet score (ECS), lung ultrasound (LUS) scores, B-patterns, optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), E/e' ratio, presence of pleural effusion, pulmonary interstitial syndrome and pulmonary congestion. The risk of bias was assessed. Extracted data were analysed using MetaXL and Revman 5.3. Heterogeneity in the studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Q test and I2 statistics. Funnel plots were used for the assessment of publication bias. Results: Seven prospective studies including 574 parturients (including 396 pre-eclamptics) were selected. POCUS included lung, optic nerve, cardiac and thoracic US. In two studies, the ECS and LUS scores pre-delivery were higher in pre-eclamptics. Two studies found a mean ONSD of 5–5.84 mm before delivery. MA revealed a significantly lower mean ECS score at post-delivery than pre-delivery, and the summary prevalence of B-pattern and pleural effusion among SPE parturients was found to be 0.28 (0.03–0.84) and 0.1 (0–0.2), respectively. A good correlation was observed between B-line patterns and diastolic dysfunction (increased E/e' ratio), LUS score and thoracic fluid content, ONSD and ECS in individual studies. Conclusion: POCUS parameters can be useful as early markers of fluid status and serve as useful tools in the precise clinical management of pre-eclampsia.

Background:Acid-base balance can change as a result of pulmonary oedema and low tissue perfusion in acute heart failure patients. However, its long-term prognostic significance remains to be clarified.Methods:We prospectively examined a cohort of 472 consecutive acute heart failure patients who underwent arterial blood gas analysis on admission between January 2013 and May 2016. Acidaemia, alkalaemia and normal range of base excess were defined as pH 7.42 and −2 to 2 mEq/L, respectively. The primary outcome was all-cause death.Results:During a median follow-up period of 714 days, 101 patients died. Although there was no difference in mortality among patients with acidaemia, normal pH and alkalaemia (p = 0.92), patients with high base excess had the highest mortality compared with others. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models revealed that high base excess was an independent determinant of mortality (hazard ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.08–3.13 (high versus normal base excess), hazard ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.47–1.41 (low versus normal base excess)), even after adjustment for significant prognostic covariates. Furthermore, regarding mortality stratified by base excess and carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2), patients with high base excess (>2.1 mEq/L) and high pCO2 (>40 mmHg) had the highest mortality compared with others.Conclusions:High base excess, but not low base excess, on admission was associated with long-term mortality in acute heart failure patients, indicating the importance of evaluating acid-base balance on admission by base excess for stratifying the risk of mortality in patients with acute heart failure.

BACKGROUND Eclampsia is a life-threatening emergency & requires proper treatment to decrease maternal morbidity & mortality. We wanted to determine the incidence of maternal mortality associated with eclampsia, modes of death in eclampsia & demographic profile of women influencing the maternal death. METHODS This retrospective longitudinal study was done in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology of Malda Medical College & Hospital for a period of three years from 1 st January, 2017 to 31st December, 2019. Total maternal deaths during this period was 186 & total eclampsia deaths during this period was 62. Records of death & demographic profiles were retrieved from the Medical Record Library of aforementioned hospital. RESULTS Eclampsia accounted for 33.33% of total maternal deaths (186) with a case fatality rate of 4.092%. Commonest mode of death in eclampsia is pulmonary oedema. Eclampsia death commonly occurs in younger age & in primigravida. Eclampsia death is also common in unbooked & lower socioeconomic status. Antepartum eclampsia contributes to most of the eclamptic deaths. CONCLUSIONS Eclampsia still remains the major cause of maternal death in India in unbooked & unsupervised pregnancies & deliveries. Hence, regular antenatal check-up, strict vigilance & appropriate treatment during deliveries may reduce maternal deaths in eclampsia.

Aim:One of the non-invasive methods of monitoring changes in cardiovascular haemodynamics is the measurement of transthoracic impedance (TTI). The most important features of this method are that it does not require catheterisation, it carries no risk of complications and it is both cost-effective and easily applicable. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of thoracic fluid content (TFC), which is one the parameters obtained from TTI measurement in patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with dyspnoea and are suspected of pulmonary oedema (PO) due to acute decompensate heart failure (ADHF).Materials and Methods:This single-centre, prospective, cohort clinical study was conducted on patients aged >18 years who presented to the tertiary care university ED with acute dyspnoea and were suspected of PO due to ADHF. The primary outcome measure was to determine the diagnostic value of TFC measurement in patients who presented to the ED with dyspnoea and were suspected of PO due to ADHF.Results:A total of 113 patients were included in the study. The Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) value was accepted as the gold standard in the diagnosis of PO due to ADHF. The sensitivity/specificity of PO associated with ADHF was 64.3/31.4%, 14.3/88.4% and 60.5/83.7% for TFC, cardiac index (CI) and stroke index, respectively. Among these, only TFC was statistically significant in the diagnosis of PO (p

Carbon dioxide embolism is a rare but severe complication of laparoscopic hepatectomy. We reported a case of massive carbon dioxide embolism that developed into a rare paradoxical gas embolism during laparoscopic hepatectomy and resulted in reduced muscular power of the left upper extremity, severe pleural effusion and hypoalbuminemia after surgery. Fortunately, the patient fully recovered with positive prevention and postoperative treatment. This case report highlights that the surgeon and anaesthesiologist must be aware of the risks and the importance for prompt treatment when massive carbon dioxide embolism occurs.

Background Pulmonary oedema (PE) is a serious complication of Plasmodium falciparum malaria which can lead to acute lung injury in severe cases. Lung macrophages are activated during malaria infection due to a complex host-immune response. The molecular basis for macrophage polarization is still unclear but understanding the predominant subtypes could lead to new therapeutic strategies where the diseases present with lung involvement. The present study was designed to study the polarization of lung macrophages, as M1 or M2 macrophages, in the lungs of severe P. falciparum malaria patients, with and without evidence of PE. Methods Lung tissue samples, taken from patients who died from severe P. falciparum malaria, were categorized into severe malaria with PE and without PE (non-PE). Expression of surface markers (CD68+, all macrophages; CD40+, M1 macrophage; and CD163+, M2 macrophage) on activated lung macrophages was used to quantify M1/M2 macrophage subtypes. Results Lung injury was demonstrated in malaria patients with PE. The expression of CD40 (M1 macrophage) was prominent in the group of severe P. falciparum malaria patients with PE (63.44 ± 1.98%), compared to non-PE group (53.22 ± 3.85%, p Conclusions The study demonstrates M1 polarization in lung tissues from severe P. falciparum malaria infections with PE. Understanding the nature of macrophage characterization in malaria infection may provide new insights into therapeutic approaches that could be deployed to reduce lung damage in severe P. falciparum malaria.

Ascent to high altitude triggers a wide range of physiological changes. However, ascent is also associated with three acute pathologies: acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral oedema (HACE) and high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE). Awareness and understanding of these conditions allows measures to be taken to reduce the risk of them developing through careful planning and, where appropriate, pharmacological prophylaxis. Both HACE and HAPE are life threatening, necessitating prompt diagnosis and management. Acute mountain sickness, although usually benign, may progress, to HACE or HAPE, if not managed appropriately. This review examines each pathology providing options for risk reduction, diagnosis and management, as well as considering comorbidity at altitude, drawing upon recent advances and consensus guidelines in the field.

This care study focuses on the initial acute phase of care for a patient with acutely decompensated heart failure. Heart failure is a syndrome characterised by clinical signs, such as pulmonary oedema, and symptoms, such as dyspnoea. Acute heart failure develops rapidly and requires urgent medical attention, unlike the slower insidious onset of chronic heart failure. Acute heart failure can be either new or acute decompensation of chronic heart failure. The patient presented with cardiogenic pulmonary oedema because of acute decompensation of his chronic heart failure. He agreed to medical management, which included continuous positive airway pressure, intra-arterial cannulation and a furosemide infusion. This treatment proved largely effective, but it may have been better if his furosemide infusion had been stopped sooner. The implications for practice are explored in this care study.

Pulmonary immersion oedema is a frequent diving accident. Although its outcome is generally favourable within 72 h, it can nonetheless lead to heart failure or sudden death. Cases of transient myocardial dysfunction have been reported in the literature. This phenomenon is similar to Takotsubo syndrome in many ways. It is characterised by transient myocardial hypokinesia, without associated coronary lesions.We report on 20 cases of patients who showed transient alteration of left ventricular kinetics with normal coronary angiography over the course of an immersion pulmonary oedema.The echocardiographic localisation of the myocardial damage was generally focal and not centred on the apex with an average left ventricular ejection fraction of 45%. The main anomalies in the electrocardiographic repolarisation were T wave inversion with corrected QT interval prolongation. We also observed a moderate increase in troponin levels, with discordance between the enzymatic peak and the severity of the left ventricle segmental dysfunction.These cases suggest the incidence of a clinical entity strongly reminiscent of Takotsubo phenomenon of atypical topography as a consequence of diving accidents.

Presentation of Cushing’s syndrome during pregnancy is extremely rare. We report a 21-year-old female with Cushing’s syndrome diagnosed at 23 weeks of gestation and had recurrent acute pulmonary oedema during the antepartum and postpartum period. She delivered prematurely via emergency caesarean section at 28 weeks of gestation. This case highlights the rare occurrence of recurrent acute pulmonary oedema during pregnancy and consequential premature birth in a patient with adrenal Cushing’s. She was diagnosed with adrenal Cushing’s during the postpartum period based on unsuppressed serum cortisol after overnight and low-dose dexamethasone suppression test with a suppressed ACTH. CT scan of the adrenal glands revealed a right adrenal cortical adenoma. The risk of complications in infants and mothers who suffer from Cushing’s syndrome needs to be handled carefully. The diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome in pregnant women often overlaps and is difficult to establish in early pregnancy.

Intravenous fluid therapy is a vital and life-saving therapeutic in veterinary medicine. In the absence of heart or lung disease, trauma or sepsis there is limited evidence that fluid therapy will have a detrimental effect on lung function. In healthy dogs there is a reasonable level of experimental evidence that supraphysiologic rates of fluid are required before signs of fluid overload are made evident. In cats, however, this may not be the case. There are higher rates of asymptomatic myocardial disease, but even in the absence of that it seems that some cats may be susceptible to fluid overload. Where systemic inflammation already exists the careful homeostatic and protective mechanisms within the lung are deranged and increases in hydrostatic pressure are more likely to result in fluid movement into the lung tissues. Strategies including restricting the use of intravenous crystalloid fluid administration and using blood products for management of severe hemorrhage are of increasing importance in human trauma and seem to be associated with fewer pulmonary complications, and lower mortality. Managing dogs and cats with sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome is already challenging, but ensuring adequate vascular expansion needs to be balanced with avoiding excessive volume administration which may negatively impact pulmonary function. While fluids remain crucial to management of these conditions, there will be an ongoing requirement to balance need without providing excess. The use of point of care ultrasound may provide clinicians with a non-invasive and accessible way to do this.

Summary Mifepristone is a promising option for the management of hypercortisolism associated with hyperglycemia. However, its use may result in serious electrolyte imbalances, especially during dose escalation. In our patient with adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent macro-nodular adrenal hyperplasia, unilateral adrenalectomy resulted in biochemical and clinical improvement, but subclinical hypercortisolism persisted following adrenalectomy. She was started on mifepristone. Unfortunately, she missed her follow-up appointments following dosage escalation and required hospitalization at an intensive care level for severe refractory hypokalemia. Learning points: Mifepristone, a potent antagonist of glucocorticoid receptors, has a high risk of adrenal insufficiency, despite high cortisol levels. Mifepristone is associated with hypokalemia due to spill-over effect of cortisol on unopposed mineralocorticoid receptors. Given the lack of a biochemical parameter to assess improvement, the dosing of mifepristone is based on clinical progress. Patients on mifepristone require anticipation of toxicity, especially when the dose is escalated. The half-life of mifepristone is 85 h, requiring prolonged monitoring for toxicity, even after the medication is held.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) has emerged as a main issue in non Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) immunocompromised hosts, exposing patients to high mortality rates, especially when the diagnosis is delayed. Since microbiological confirmation is often unfeasible or difficult to obtain, High-resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) represents a main tool for guiding the diagnosis in the appropriate clinical scenario. Nevertheless, radiologists must be aware that PJP at HRCT is a multifaceted process, with a variety of common and less frequent findings, along with a broad spectrum of infectious (e.g., viral and certain fungal and bacterial pneumonias) and non-infectious (e.g., pulmonary oedema, diffuse alveolar haemorrhage, and drug toxicity) differential diagnoses. In this review we resume background clinical information on PJP in non-HIV immunocompromised patients, illustrate both typical and less frequent HRCT findings, and present the spectrum of infectious and non-infectious mimickers at HRCT, highlighting the similarities with PJP and providing clues for the differential diagnosis.

Detecting weaning-induced pulmonary oedema (WIPO) is important because its treatment might prompt extubation. For this purpose, lung ultrasound might be an attractive tool, since it demonstrates pulmonary oedema through the appearance of B-lines. To test the ideal profile (increase in the number of B-lines) for diagnosing WIPO. Before and at the end of 62 spontaneous breathing trials (SBT) performed in 42 patients, we prospectively assessed lung ultrasound on four anterior chest wall points. B-lines were counted before and at the end of SBT. We looked for the threshold of B-line increase (Delta-B-lines) that provided the best diagnostic accuracy, compared to the reference diagnosis of WIPO established by experts blinded to lung ultrasound. SBT failed in 33 cases. WIPO occurred in 17 cases and all failed. The best diagnostic accuracy was reached with a Delta-B-lines ≥ 6. Among WIPO, the number of B-lines increased by ≥ 6 in 15 cases (including 13 cases with an increase of ≥ 8 B-lines). Among the 16 cases with SBT failure but without WIPO, the Delta-B-lines was ≥ 6 in two cases. Among the 33 cases with SBT failure, this profile diagnosed WIPO with a sensitivity of 88% (64–98) and a specificity of 88% (62–98) [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.91 (0.75–0.98)]. Among the 29 cases with SBT success, a Delta-B-lines ≥ 6 occurred in two cases. This study suggests that a Delta-B-lines ≥ 6 on four anterior points allows the diagnosis of WIPO with the best accuracy. This should be confirmed in larger populations.

Summary Intravenous fluid therapy (IV‐FT) is routinely used in the treatment of vaso‐occlusive crises (VOCs), as dehydration possibly promotes and sustains erythrocyte sickling. Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk of developing diastolic dysfunction and fluid overload due to IV‐FT. However, data on the adverse effects of IV‐FT for VOC is sparse. We aimed to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of fluid overload due to IV‐FT in patients with SCD. Consecutive hospitalisations for VOC treated with IV‐FT between September 2016 and September 2018 were retrospectively analysed. The median (interquartile range) age was 25·0 (18·3–33·8) years and 65% had a severe genotype (HbSS/HbSβ0‐thal). Fluid overload occurred in 21% of 100 patients. Hospital stay was longer in patients with fluid overload (6·0 vs. 4·0 days, P = 0·037). A positive history of fluid overload (P = 0·017), lactate dehydrogenase level (P = 0·011), and top‐up transfusion during admission (P = 0·005) were independently associated with fluid overload occurrence. IV‐FT was not reduced in 86% of patients despite a previous history of fluid overload. Fluid overload is frequently encountered during IV‐FT for VOC. IV‐FT is often not adjusted despite a positive history of fluid overload or when top‐up transfusion is indicated, emphasising the need for more awareness of this complication and a personalised approach.

A 33-year-old man presented with a 3-week history of breathlessness and cough. He disclosed that he was informed regarding a heart defect as a child in his home country but was unaware of its nature and was never followed up. Examination revealed a pansystolic murmur (loudest at the apex), a hyperdynamic, displaced apex, and pulmonary oedema. An ECG showed atrial fibrillation with a regular broad-complex ventricular rhythm. Following electrical cardioversion, the ECG revealed complete heart block, therefore explaining the regular atrial fibrillation. An urgent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) confirmed the anatomy of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) with torrential tricuspid regurgitation and impaired systemic right ventricle. Cardiac MRI identified a ventricular septal defect which was not visible on TTE. The patient showed a transient improvement following fluid offloading and ACE inhibition, with a more definitive improvement after cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT).

Background Cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (CPE) may contribute to ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI) in patients with cardiogenic shock. The appropriate ventilatory strategy remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of ultra-low tidal volume ventilation with tidal volume of 3 ml/kg predicted body weight (PBW) in patients with CPE and veno–arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V–A ECMO) on lung inflammation compared to conventional ventilation. Methods A single-centre randomized crossover trial was performed in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a tertiary university hospital. Seventeen adults requiring V–A ECMO and mechanical ventilation due to cardiogenic shock were included from February 2017 to December 2018. Patients were ventilated for two consecutive periods of 24 h with tidal volumes of 6 and 3 ml/kg of PBW, respectively, applied in random order. Primary outcome was the change in proinflammatory mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) between both ventilatory strategies. Results Ventilation with 3 ml/kg PBW yielded lower driving pressures and end-expiratory lung volumes. Overall, there were no differences in BALF cytokines. Post hoc analyses revealed that patients with high baseline levels of IL-6 showed statistically significant lower levels of IL-6 and IL-8 during ultra-low tidal volume ventilation. This reduction was significantly proportional to the decrease in driving pressure. In contrast, those with lower IL-6 baseline levels showed a significant increase in these biomarkers. Conclusions Ultra-low tidal volume ventilation in patients with CPE and V–A ECMO may attenuate inflammation in selected cases. VALI may be driven by an interaction between the individual proinflammatory profile and the mechanical load overimposed by the ventilator. Trial registration The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT03041428, Registration date: 2nd February 2017).

Introduction: Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) is widely used in the management of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF). Due to the drive to improve the quality of NIV (1), an evaluation of our clinical practice was vital. Aim: To review acute NIV outcomes, adherence to national guidelines and effect of changing to controlled oxygen ventilation in a university hospital (2). Methods: Data including patient demographics, indication for NIV, arterial blood gases, NIV pressures, length of stay and outcome, was collected prospectively from patients receiving acute NIV between 1st Jan 2014 - 31st Dec 2019. Results: 526 patients were included, with 51% males. Mean age was lower compared to BTS data (1) (66 vs 72 yrs). COPD was the main indication (69%), followed by pulmonary oedema (13%), OSA (12%) and neuromuscular disorders (5%). Prior to NIV, 16% of patients had unrestricted activity, 21% with strenuous activity limited, 34% with limited activity but self-caring, 19% with limited self-care and activity, and 7% bedbound. Increased NIV success rate of 83% was seen compared to BTS mean of 76% with reduced hospital mortality of 7% vs BTS mean of 26%. Since delivering controlled oxygen ventilation, higher NIV success rate (95% vs prior mean of 79%), shorter hospital stay (10 vs 12 days) and lower mortality rate (5% vs 8%) were seen. Only 79% of patients had documented escalation plans vs BTS mean of 83%. Conclusions: Acute NIV is an effective treatment for AHRF and delivering controlled oxygen ventilation further improved outcomes (2). However, its’ use can still be improved by better care escalation planning. References: 1. Davies M. BTS Reports 2020. 2. Davidson AC. Thorax 2016.

BackgroundImpaired alveolar fluid clearance, determined in part by alveolar sodium transport, is associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Nasal sodium transport may reflect alveolar transport. The primary objective of this prospective, observational study was to determine if reduced nasal sodium transport, as measured by nasal potential difference (NPD), was predictive of the development of and outcome from ARDS.MethodsNPD was measured in 15 healthy controls and in 88 patients: 40 mechanically ventilated patients defined as ‘at-risk’ for ARDS, 61 mechanically ventilated patients with ARDS (13 who were previously included in the ‘at-risk’ group) and 8 ARDS survivors on the ward.ResultsIn at-risk subjects, maximum NPD (mNPD) was greater in those who developed ARDS (difference –8.4 mV; 95% CI –13.8 to –3.7; p=0.005) and increased mNPD predicted the development of ARDS before its onset (area under the curve (AUC) 0.75; 95% CI 0.59 to 0.89). In the ARDS group, mNPD was not significantly different for survivors and non-survivors (p=0.076), and mNPD was a modest predictor of death (AUC 0.60; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.75). mNPD was greater in subjects with ARDS (−30.8 mV) than in at-risk subjects (−24.2 mV) and controls (−19.9 mV) (pConclusionsIncreased NPD predicts the development of ARDS in at-risk subjects but does not predict mortality. NPD increases before ARDS develops, is greater during ARDS, but is not significantly different for controls and survivors. These results may reflect the upregulated sodium transport necessary for alveolar fluid clearance in ARDS. NPD may be useful as a biomarker of endogenous mechanisms to stimulate sodium transport. Larger studies are now needed to confirm these associations and predictive performance.

Background Optiflow therapy (OF) is nasal high flow Oxygen that is hospital based. Its aims are to reduce work of breathing and symptomatic breathlessness. Its use is generally initiated by critical care outreach in order to prevent admissions to critical care for ventilatory support. The concern was that OF was mainly commenced acutely without considering ramifications on achieving Preferred place of care or death (PPC/PPD). Local and National guidance is lacking for patients who are receiving palliative care. We aimed to develop a guideline for initiating OF within the hospital. Methods A baseline retrospective notes review was conducted. 60 adult medical in-patients who started OF on the wards between October 2018 and October 2019 were included. Results The most common reason for commencing OF was infection (61%), Pulmonary oedema (13.4%), Pneumonitis (4.9%) and Pleural effusions (4.9%). Most patients remained on OF for less than 4 days (43 patients, 71.7%). OF was initiated in 65% patients out of hours. Most often an MDT was used to make the decision. In 43% patients a ‘ceiling of treatment’ decision was documented prior to starting OF: of these 35% were for full escalation, 35% for inotropes but not intubation and 30% for ward-based treatment only. Prior to starting OF 3% had a PPD documented. The majority of patients 65% improved on OF and were weaned off. However, 82% patients died within 8 (most of those within the first 4) months of initiation of OF; either whilst on OF, later in the admission when stopped OF, or following discharge. Conclusions The results suggest that although the vast majority of patients are weaned off OF, it does signal a deteriorating patient and referral to palliative care should be initiated. A guideline is being developed to support clinical decision making around the use of OF.

Objective We evaluated whether blood pressure and change in blood pressure measurements during pregnancy were associated with eclampsia or pulmonary oedema among women with pre-eclampsia. Study design Observational study of women with eclampsia, pre-eclampsia complicated by pulmonary oedema and pre-eclampsia without end-organ complications (pre-eclampsia controls) at a large referral center in Cape Town, South Africa. Main outcome measures Blood pressure measurements at presentation for antenatal care were compared to measurements after a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. Mean blood pressures and changes in blood pressures were also calculated and compared between groups at different time points. A sub analysis including women who presented for antenatal care before 20 weeks of gestation was performed. Results When diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, women with pulmonary oedema had increased systolic blood pressures and women with eclampsia had increased diastolic blood pressures compared to pre-eclampsia controls. There were no differences in blood pressure measurements in early pregnancy between women who later developed eclampsia or pulmonary oedema compared to pre-eclampsia controls. Conclusion Blood pressure measurements in early pregnancy do not seem useful as a risk factor for the development of eclampsia or pulmonary oedema among women diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. Increased systolic or diastolic pressure at diagnosis of pre-eclampsia may be useful as a risk factor for the development of pulmonary oedema or eclampsia. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Background Calcified lesions represent a hard obstacle to overcome in renal arteries, particularly when renal angioplasty represents the only feasible course of action in the setting of high-risk bilateral renal artery stenosis (RAS) with refractory systemic hypertension and recurrent flash pulmonary oedema. Case summary We herein report a case of symptomatic bilateral severely calcified RAS, treated successfully with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided coronary and peripheral intravascular shockwave lithotripsy systems and stenting. Discussion Intravascular shockwave lithotripsy is an attractive modality for the treatment of challenging, heavily calcified renal arteries that combines the calcium-disrupting capability of lithotripsy with the familiarity of balloon catheters to facilitate proper stent deployment.

Pulmonary oedema is a manifestation of both cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic reasons. The clinical picture of Pulmonary oedema mainly include dyspnoea, orthopnoea, chest tightness and coughing. Although, the majority of patients admitted with Pulmonary oedema show rapid clinical improvement as result of intravenous (IV) Inotropes, blood pressure lowering drugs, diuretics etc. but, there is a general lack of good evidence to guide therapy. A number of studies showed efficacy of various natural plants such as garlic, rosemary, turnip etc. and their constituents to reduce lung inflammation. Future research is required to develop innovative pharmacotherapies based on natural medicinal plants capable of relieving symptoms of pulmonary oedema.

Shortness of breath is a common complaint among patients in emergency medicine. While most common causes are usually promptly identified, less frequent aetiologies might be challenging to diagnose, especially in the pre-hospital setting. We report a case of prehospital dyspnoea initially ascribed to pulmonary oedema which turned out to be the result of profound metformin-associated metabolic acidosis. This diagnosis was already made during the prehospital phase by virtue of arterial blood gas measurement. Pre-hospital measurement of arterial blood gases is therefore feasible and can improve diagnostic accuracy in the field, thus avoiding unnecessary delay and potential harm to the patient before initiating the appropriate therapeutic actions.

Rapidly expanding thyroid lesions with tracheal invasion are typical characteristics of anaplastic and high-grade thyroid carcinomas. However, primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) must also be considered as a differential. We present a rare case of PTL with direct invasion and compression of the trachea resulting in pulmonary oedema and cardiomyopathy.

A 53-year-old man presented to the emergency room (ER) with fever, dry cough and shortness of breath for 6 days. Clinically he had tachycardia (114 beats per minute), tachypnoea (30 per minute) and was maintaining oxygen saturation of 88% on room air. He had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (PaO2/FiO2 of 0.28), and there was no leucopaenia or lymphopaenia. Chest X-ray revealed peripheral consolidations with base towards …

The South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) diving medical for recreational scuba divers was last reviewed in 2011. From 2011 to 2019, considerable advancements have occurred in cardiovascular risk assessment relevant to divers. The SPUMS 48th (2019) Annual Scientific Meeting theme was cardiovascular risk assessment in diving. The meeting had multiple presentations updating scientific information about assessing cardiovascular risk. These were distilled into a new set of guidelines at the final conference workshop. SPUMS guidelines for medical risk assessment in recreational diving have subsequently been updated and modified including a new Appendix C: Suggested evaluation of the cardiovascular system for divers. The revised evaluation of the cardiovascular system for divers covers the following topics: 1. Background information on the relevance of cardiovascular risk and diving; 2. Defining which divers with cardiovascular problems should not dive, or whom require treatment interventions before further review; 3. Recommended screening procedures (flowchart) for divers aged 45 and over; 4. Assessment of divers with known or symptomatic cardiovascular disease, including guidance on assessing divers with specific diagnoses such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, cardiac pacemaker, immersion pulmonary oedema, takotsubo cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and persistent (patent) foramen ovale; 5. Additional cardiovascular health questions included in the SPUMS guidelines for medical risk assessment in recreational diving; 6. Updated general cardiovascular medical risk assessment advice; 7. Referencing of relevant literature. The essential elements of this guideline are presented in this paper.

OBJECTIVENearly 5 % of the patients with COVID-19 develop an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Extravascular lung water index (EVLWI) is a marker of pulmonary oedema which is associated with mortality in ARDS. In this study we evaluate whether EVLWI is higher in patients with COVID-19 associated ARDS as compared to controls and whether EVLWI has the potential to monitor disease progression.METHODSFrom the day of intubation, EVLWI, cardiac function were monitored by transpulmonary thermodilution in n=25 patients with COVID-19 and compared to a control group of 49 non-COVID-19 ARDS-patients.RESULTSEVLWI in COVID-19-patients was noticeably elevated and significantly higher than in the control group (17 (11-38) vs. 11 (6-26) mL/kg; pCONCLUSIONSCompared to the control group, COVID-19 results in markedly elevated EVLWI-values in patients with ARDS. EVLWI reflects a non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema in COVID-19 associated ARDS and could serve as parameter to monitor ARDS progression.

Objective To determine whether vitamin C in the first three days postpartum reduces pulmonary oedema (PE) assessed by lung ultrasound in patients with severe preeclampsia. Design Randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Setting Tertiary perinatal centre. Population Consecutively admitted patients with singleton pregnancies complicated by severe preeclampsia. Methods Thirty-four patients received vitamin C (1.5 g/6 h) (n = 17) or placebo (n = 17) at days 1, 2, and 3 postdelivery. Mann-Whitney-U test was used to compare vitamin C vs placebo groups. A p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Main outcome measures Lung ultrasound was performed once daily in the first three days following delivery. Echo Comet Score (ECS) on day 1 postdelivery was the primary outcome studied and was obtained using the 28-rib interspaces technique. ECS on days 2 and 3 postdelivery were secondary outcomes. Results There was no significant difference in ECS on day 1 (median 23 (inter-quartile range (IQR) 21–61) vs 18 (IQR 8–35); p = 0.31). All ultrasound examinations on day 1 were performed within six hours from delivery. On days 2 and 3, ECS was significantly lower in vitamin C group compared to placebo (8 (IQR 3–14) vs 35 (IQR 15–78); p = 0.03 and 5 (IQR 3–10) vs 18 (IQR 18–44); p = 0.04, respectively). Conclusion A single dose of intravenous vitamin C did not reduce PE in postpartum patients with severe preeclampsia on day 1 after delivery. Repeated doses, however, seem to have a delayed effect with a reduction in PE detected on ultrasound on days 2 and 3 following delivery. Trial registration This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: ID NCT03451266 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03451266?term=NCT03451266&draw=2&rank=1 ).

Acute altitude illnesses acute hypobaric traumata are seen predominantly in patients with a prior rapid ascent to higher altitude. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a syndrome seen in unacclimatized patients after ascent to high altitude. High-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) is a potentially lethal form of altitude sickness typically resulting from rapid ascent to high altitude by unacclimatized visitors to high-altitude regions or from well-acclimatized high-altitude residents returning from low altitudes. High-altitude cerebral oedema has been defined as a condition occurring in persons who have recently arrived at high altitude, usually secondary to AMS or HAPE, and marked by disturbances of consciousness potentially progressing to deep coma, psychiatric changes of varying degree, confusion and ataxia of gait. Chronic conditions resulting from high-altitude dwelling affect approximately 140 million inhabitants of geographical regions at more than 2500 m above sea level. The best therapeutic strategy is avoiding high-altitude habitation, i.e. rapid and permanent descent to lower altitude.

Background: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a clinical syndrome that is commonly encountered in small animal practice. It is characterised by the accumulation of fluid as a result of severe heart disease. This fluid accumulation manifests as pulmonary oedema in left-sided CHF and as cavitaryeffusions (pleural, pericardial and ascites) in right-sided CHF. The clinical consequences of both CHF itself and its medical management can have a significant impact on a patient’s welfare; appropriate monitoring is therefore crucial to maintaining a good quality of life.Aim of the article: This article reviews the goals of monitoring CHF and discusses the methods available in veterinary practice.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is overwhelming healthcare systems worldwide. There is no evidence from randomised clinical trials that any potential therapy improves outcome in COVID-19 pneumonia, and therapeutic strategies have been based on a progressively increasing knowledge of the clinical presentation of the disease. Some clinicians have found the clinical features of COVID-19 pneumonia to be similar to high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) [1], and such theory has been amplified via social media. We question this relationship., COVID-19 pneumonia is a viral infection; high-altitude pulmonary oedema is a non-cardiogenic oedema. Some clinicians have found the clinical features similar. It is important to clarify such misconceptions to prevent erroneous treatment strategies https://bit.ly/2KOBi3F

It is very important to assess pulmonary oedema in patients with acute heart failure. The aim of the study was to investigate the accuracy of lung ultrasound in evaluating pulmonary oedema and to explore lung ultrasound in predicting the prognosis. One hundred twenty-four acute heart failure patients were divided into 3 groups, according to the total number of lung ultrasound B-lines groups: B-lines

Aim High‐altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) is a non‐cardiogenic pulmonary oedema that can occur during rapid ascent to a high‐altitude environment. Classically, HAPE has been described as a condition resulting from a combination of pulmonary vasoconstriction and hypertension. Inflammation has been described as important in HAPE, although as a side effect of pulmonary oedema rather than as a causative factor. In this study, we aim to understand the role of hypoxic response in myeloid cells and its involvement in pathogenesis of HAPE. Methods We have generated a conditional deletion in mice of the von Hippel‐Lindau factor (VHL) in myeloid cells to determine the effect of a deregulated hypoxic response in pulmonary oedema. Results The deletion of VHL in pulmonary myeloid cells gave rise to pulmonary oedema, increased pulmonary vascular permeability and reduced performance during exertion. These changes were accompanied by reduced stroke volume in the left ventricle. Conclusion In this model, we show that a deregulated myeloid cell hypoxic response can trigger some of the most important symptoms of HAPE, and thus mice with a deletion of VHL in the myeloid lineage can function as a model of HAPE.

Non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema can be life threatening and requires prompt treatment. While gadolinium-based contrast is generally considered safe with a low risk of severe side effects, non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema has become increasingly recognised as a rare, but possibly life-threatening complication. We present a case of a usually well, young 23-year-old female who developed non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema with a moderate oxygenation impairment and no mucosal or cutaneous features of anaphylaxis following the administration of gadolinium-based contrast. She did not respond to treatment of anaphylaxis but made a rapid recovery following the commencement of positive pressure ventilation. Our case highlights the importance of recognising the rare complication of non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema following gadolinium-based contrast administration in order to promptly implement the appropriate treatment.

Purpose It has been suggested that, by recruiting lung regions and enlarging the distribution volume of the cold indicator, increasing the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) may lead to an artefactual overestimation of extravascular lung water (EVLW) by transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD). Methods In 60 ARDS patients, we measured EVLW (PiCCO2 device) at a PEEP level set to reach a plateau pressure of 30 cmH2O (HighPEEPstart) and 15 and 45 min after decreasing PEEP to 5 cmH2O (LowPEEP15′ and LowPEEP45′, respectively). Then, we increased PEEP back to the baseline level (HighPEEPend). Between HighPEEPstart and LowPEEP15′, we estimated the degree of lung derecruitment either by measuring changes in the compliance of the respiratory system (Crs) in the whole population, or by measuring the lung derecruited volume in 30 patients. We defined patients with a large derecruitment from the other ones as patients in whom the Crs changes and the measured derecruited volume were larger than the median of these variables observed in the whole population. Results Reducing PEEP from HighPEEPstart (14 ± 2 cmH2O) to LowPEEP15′ significantly decreased EVLW from 20 ± 4 to 18 ± 4 mL/kg, central venous pressure (CVP) from 15 ± 4 to 12 ± 4 mmHg, the arterial oxygen tension over inspired oxygen fraction (PaO2/FiO2) ratio from 184 ± 76 to 150 ± 69 mmHg and lung volume by 144 [68–420] mL. The EVLW decrease was similar in “large derecruiters” and the other patients. When PEEP was re-increased to HighPEEPend, CVP, PaO2/FiO2 and EVLW significantly re-increased. At linear mixed effect model, EVLW changes were significantly determined only by changes in PEEP and CVP (p p = 0.03, respectively, n = 60). When the same analysis was performed by estimating recruitment according to lung volume changes (n = 30), CVP remained significantly associated to the changes in EVLW (p Conclusions In ARDS patients, changing the PEEP level induced parallel, small and reversible changes in EVLW. These changes were not due to an artefact of the TPTD technique and were likely due to the PEEP-induced changes in CVP, which is the backward pressure of the lung lymphatic drainage. Trial registration ID RCB: 2015-A01654-45. Registered 23 October 2015

The physiological responses on exposure to high altitude are relatively well known, but new discoveries are still being made, and novel prevention and treatment strategies may arise. Basic information has changed little since our previous review in this journal 10 years ago, but considerable more detail on standard therapies, and promising new approaches are now available.Herein, the authors review the role of pharmacological agents in preventing and treating high-altitude illnesses. The authors have drawn on their own experience and that of international experts in this field. The literature search was concluded in March 2018.Slow ascent remains the primary prevention strategy, with rapid descent for the management of serious altitude illnesses. Pharmacological agents are particularly helpful when rapid ascent cannot be avoided or when rapid descent is not possible. Acetazolamide remains the drug of choice for prophylaxis of acute mountain sickness. However, evidence indicates that reduced dosage schemes compared to the current recommendations are warranted. Calcium channel blockers and phosphodiesterase inhibitors remain the drugs of choice for the management of high-altitude pulmonary edema. Dexamethasone should be reserved for the treatment of more severe cases of altitude illnesses such as cerebral edema.

Upper airway obstruction can occur suddenly and result in a patient’s rapid deterioration. In this article we provide a structured approach to identifying those patients with acute airway compromise and stratifying them according to clinical urgency. This includes ways of distinguishing both the level of obstruction and its severity, based on the clinical signs and symptoms, and the role and timing of investigations. We describe the key aspects of emergency management, including temporizing measures and airway adjuncts. Management of rare, but important, situations are discussed such as post-thyroidectomy haematoma, occlusion of tracheostomy and laryngectomy stomas and post-obstruction pulmonary oedema (POPE) is discussed. We describe the situation when an emergency surgical airway should be considered, along with our technique of performing one.

Pre-eclampsia may be associated with cardiac complications including pulmonary oedema. Nine studies examining whether pre-eclampsia is associated with elevated levels of cardiac troponin (cTnI) revealed inconsistent results. In this study high sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hscTnI) levels were measured in 40 asymptomatic women with pre-eclampsia . HscTnI was elevated in ten (25%) women. A linear correlation between peak mean arterial pressure and log hscTnI was demonstrated.

Background: Extra vascular lung water (EVLW) following pulmonary resection increases due to fluid infusion and rises in capillary surface and permeability of the alveolar capillary membranes. EVLW increase clinically correlates to pulmonary oedema and it may generate impairments of gas exchanges and acute lung injury. An early and reliable assessment of postoperative EVLW, especially following major pulmonary resection, is useful in terms of reducing the risk of postoperative complications. The currently used methods, though satisfying these criteria, tend to be invasive and cumbersome and these factors might limit its use. The presence and burden of EVLW has been reported to correlate with sonographic B-line artefacts (BLA) assessed by lung ultrasound (LUS). This observational study investigated if bedside LUS could detect EVLW increases after major pulmonary resection. Due to the clinical association between EVLW increase and impairment of gas exchange, secondary aims of the study included investigating for associations between any observed EVLW increases and both respiratory ratio (PaO2/FiO2) and fluid retention, measured by brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Methods: Overall, 74 major pulmonary resection patients underwent bedside LUS before surgery and at postoperative days 1 and 4, in the inviolate hemithorax which were divided into four quadrants. BLA were counted with a four-level method. The respiratory ratio PaO2/FiO2 and fluid retention were both assessed. Results: BLA resulted being increased at postoperative day 1 (OR 9.25; 95% CI, 5.28–16.20; P

Introduction Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has a variable prognosis; left atrial size, presence of clinical signs and left ventricular systolic function have been shown to predict outcomes. Mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) assess longitudinal ventricular systolic function and are decreased in cats with HCM. The aim of the study was to ascertain whether MAPSE and TAPSE have prognostic value in HCM and if cats with pleural effusion have lower MAPSE and TAPSE than cats with pulmonary oedema. Animals One hundred eighty-four client-owned cats diagnosed with HCM. Methods This is a retrospective study. Echocardiography was used to diagnose HCM (end-diastolic left ventricular wall thickness ≥ 6 mm) and to measure MAPSE and TAPSE. Survival information was obtained. Results No multivariable model including MAPSE or TAPSE could be generated in this population. Cats with pleural effusion ± pulmonary oedema had lower MAPSE measured at the interventricular septum (MAPSE IVS) and TAPSE, compared with cats with pulmonary oedema only. MAPSE IVS was the only factor predicting pleural effusion on multivariable regression model. Conclusions Lower MAPSE and TAPSE were not independently associated with outcomes on multivariable analysis. Cats with pleural effusion ± pulmonary oedema had lower TAPSE and MAPSE IVS than cats with pulmonary oedema, and MAPSE IVS was the only predictive factor associated with the development of pleural effusion in this population.

Congenital stenosis of the pulmonary veins is a rare condition whose outcome is guarded despite the available treatment options. We report a case of a 6-month-old infant with significant stenosis of all four pulmonary veins.