Cardiogenic Pulmonary Oedema (CPO)

Question 1

What is the treatment for CPO?

Answer 1

12 Lead ECG.
0.8mg GTN
Repeat GTN every 3-5 minutes if patient is not improving.
If in presence of cautions, increase dosing to 10 mins.
Apply TTS 10 Patch if patient is not improving.
If not improving PEEP

Question 2

How do you differentiate Cardiogenic Pulmonary Oedema from COPD?

Answer 2

• CPO is likely if patient has been supine and wheeze is worse bilaterally in lower zones.
• COPD is likely if there is productive cough and wheeze is heard evenly throughout all lungs] fields.

Question 3

What should PEEP be set at?

Answer 3

10cmH²O, increasing to 15cmH²O if patient is not improving.

Question 4

How do you differentiate Cardiogenic Pulmonary Oedema from a chest infection?

Answer 4

Chest infection is likely if crackles are unilateral, limited to one lobe, or exist in presence of productive cough, or elevated temperature.

Question 5

What is cardiogenic pulmonary oedema?

Answer 5

It is a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs from the heart left ventricle being unable to pump blood away from the lungs. This causes fluid to be pushed through the capillary walls into the air sacs.