Studies on the Role of Intermittent Inspiratory Positive Pressure Oxygen Breathing (IPPB/I-O₂) in the Treatment of Pulmonary Edema

¹ Associate Professor of Medicine. University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.
² Research Fellow, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.

Pulmonary edema, regardless of etiology, is characterized by severe dyspnea owing to acute hypoxia and profound increase in the work of breathing with acute ventilatory insufficiency. Not infrequently, hypotension or shock are also present. Treatment preferably should be directed at the etiology, but the urgency of the situation often seems to contraindicate any delay for diagnostic procedures. Oxygen and bronchodilator detergent aerosol administered by positive pressure breathing, inspiratory (IPPB/I-O₂), with or without anti-foaming agents, have been demonstrated to be a safe, rapid method of correcting the physiological disturbances including shock, while more deliberate and precise diagnostic procedures are undertaken to elucidate the etiology of the attack.