Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema is most accurately described by which term?

Prepare for your CVP and GI Pathology Exam. Study using flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations to excel in your test.

Multiple Choice

Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema is most accurately described by which term?

Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema happens when the alveolar-capillary barrier becomes permeable because of inflammatory injury, so fluid accumulates in the air spaces not due to high left-sided heart pressures. This type of edema is characteristic of acute lung injury, which describes acute onset hypoxemic respiratory failure with bilateral pulmonary infiltrates caused by permeability edema rather than fluid overload from heart failure. In the spectrum of this process, acute lung injury is the term that best captures noncardiogenic edema (with ARDS representing the more severe end). The other options refer to different conditions: acute interstitial pneumonia is a distinct acute interstitial disease, while COPD and chronic bronchitis are chronic obstructive lung diseases with airflow limitation, not edema.

Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema happens when the alveolar-capillary barrier becomes permeable because of inflammatory injury, so fluid accumulates in the air spaces not due to high left-sided heart pressures. This type of edema is characteristic of acute lung injury, which describes acute onset hypoxemic respiratory failure with bilateral pulmonary infiltrates caused by permeability edema rather than fluid overload from heart failure. In the spectrum of this process, acute lung injury is the term that best captures noncardiogenic edema (with ARDS representing the more severe end). The other options refer to different conditions: acute interstitial pneumonia is a distinct acute interstitial disease, while COPD and chronic bronchitis are chronic obstructive lung diseases with airflow limitation, not edema.

More practice questions