Pink foamy sputum

Pink frothy phlegm is a common health problem and a symptom that many people experience. This symptom has a relatively large impact on patients, because it may indicate that the patient has certain health problems with his heart or lungs. No matter which problem it is, it will affect the patient's overall health and even life safety. Next, I will introduce to you some relevant knowledge about pink foamy sputum!

1. Causes

In certain pathological conditions, such as a sharp increase in the amount of blood returning to the heart and the right heart output or a sudden and severe decrease in the left heart output, a large amount of blood accumulates in the pulmonary circulation, causing the pulmonary capillary venous pressure to rise sharply. When it rises to a level that exceeds the colloid osmotic pressure in the pulmonary capillaries, on the one hand, the hemodynamics in the capillaries change, and on the other hand, the pulmonary circulation becomes congested, the permeability of the pulmonary capillary walls increases, and fluid is filtered out through the capillary walls, forming pulmonary edema. Clinically, acute pulmonary edema caused by hypertensive heart disease, coronary heart disease and rheumatic heart valvular disease accounts for the vast majority of cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

2. Clinical manifestations

Clinical manifestations include shortness of breath, extreme dyspnea, orthopnea, cyanosis, profuse sweating, and paroxysmal cough with large amounts of white or pink foamy sputum. Commonly seen in left heart failure and acute pulmonary edema.

3. Inspection Methods

1. Laboratory examination

Including blood routine, urine routine, liver function, kidney function, cardiac enzyme spectrum and electrolyte examination, to provide clues for the diagnosis of infection, hypoproteinemia, kidney disease and heart disease.

2. Arterial blood gas analysis

In the early stages of the disease, oxygen partial pressure mainly manifests as hypoxia, and oxygen inhalation can significantly increase PaO2. In the early stage of the disease, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide mainly manifests as low CO2, while in the later stage, high CO2 appears, and respiratory acidosis and metabolic acidosis occur.

3. X-ray examination

Abnormal shadows will appear on chest X-ray examination only when the volume of extravascular fluid increases by more than 30%. The X-ray manifestations of the interstitial phase are mainly blurred and increased pulmonary vascular texture, unclear hilar shadows, decreased lung translucency, and widened pulmonary lobular septa.