What is the pathogenesis of pulmonary edema?
Left ventricular failure, e.g., caused by a myocardial infarct, causes pump failure, and secondarily there is impaired flow of blood from the lung to the left atrium. This causes increased hydrostatic pressure in pulmonary alveolar capillaries and subsequent transudation of fluid into alveoli. Pulmonary edema in other cases may also result from damage to alveolar capillaries, e.g., in adult respiratory distress syndrome.
