Prehospital CPAP Improves Early Outcomes in Patients with Pulmonary Edema

Patients who received physician-initiated prehospital CPAP were more likely to have resolution of symptoms within 48 hours than patients who did not receive prehospital CPAP.

To assess the benefit of early prehospital administration of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for treatment of cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE), researchers in a physician-based emergency medical services system in France randomized 207 patients with CPE to receive or not receive CPAP. Patients who met all of the following criteria were included: orthopnea, tachypnea (respiratory rate >25), hypoxia (room air oxygen saturation <90%), and diffuse crackles (Killip score ≥ III). Patients with underlying chronic airway disease, severe stenotic valve disease, cardiovascular collapse, ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, or need for immediate intubation were excluded.

All patients with adequate blood pressure received at least 40 …

Reviewing Author

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices