Lessons from fatal re-expansion pulmonary oedema: case series.

Abstract

The goal of this study was to investigate the extent of the alveolar-capillary membrane porosity in patients with severe re-expansion pulmonary oedema. The biochemistry of airway fluid of two patients who died of re-expansion oedema was compared to their blood biochemistry. The airway fluid was comparable to plasma, while no blood cells were observed across the alveolar-capillary membrane. The membrane was linked to a fishnet that traps cells on one side, while plasma sieved through.