Acute pulmonary oedema is a distressing and life-threatening illness that is associated with a sudden onset of symptoms. For the best possible patient outcomes, it is essential that nurses in all clinical areas are equipped to accurately recognise, assess and manage patients with acute pulmonary oedema. This article outlines the pathophysiology of acute cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, and suggests a systematic approach to the recognition and management of its most serious manifestations. Long-term care and symptom recognition are discussed and suggestions for ongoing patient self-management are provided.
Nursing Standard. 30, 23, 51-60. doi: 10.7748/ns.30.23.51.s47
Correspondence Peer reviewAll articles are subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Received: 31 July 2015
Accepted: 20 November 2015
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