- Acute respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary edema
- caused by decreased lung compliance with poor gas exchange
- 50% mortality rate
- Causes include
- trauma
- shock
- infection
- fat emboli
- thromboembolism
- multi-system organ failure
- Presentation
- tachypmea, dyspnea, hypoxemia
- decreased lung compliance
- Labs
- diagnosis after long bone fracture made with ABGs
- Imaging
- diffuse infiltrative changes on CXR
- Treatment
- nonoperative
- PEEP ventilation and steroids
- operative
- early stabilization of long bone fractures (femur)
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