When a patient is showing symptoms of lung edema, the main focus of the medical practitioner would be to provide adequate supply of oxygen. Since lung edema is associated with the condition where various factors may cause a collection of excessive fluid in the lungs leading to reduction in the exchange of gases in the lungs. This will lead to respiratory failure and it is considered to be a life threatening condition.
Emergency measures include supplying high flow oxygen by a process of non invasive ventilation. There are two methods applied for treating patients suffering from lung edema and they are the Continuous airway pressure or CPAP and the variable positive airway pressure that is known as VPAP. Mechanical ventilation and PEEP are also applied in severe cases where there is complete respiratory failure.
In cardiogenic lung edema, the patient will be treated with intravenous nitrates and loop diuretics. Some of the diuretics applied here include furosemide and bumetanide. This form of therapy is strategic in improving cardiac function. In other cases like altitude induced lung edema, sildnafil is widely applied. Thus depending on the cause of pulmonary edema the doctor will decide upon a course of treatment in order to maximize respiration while at the same time addressing the underlying problem that caused the edema.