Twenty-four hours after a pediatric patient has undergone lung transplantation, the therapist notices on the patient's chest X-ray features consistent with pulmonary edema. How should the therapist interpret this finding?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

So-called ischemia-reperfusion injury in the lung is manifested as pulmonary capillary leak. This reperfusion injury, which occurs in 10% to 20% of lung transplants, mimics the acute respiratory distress syndrome clinically and radiographically. On chest radiography, pulmonary edema, either immediately after transplantation or within the first 72 hours, is usually a sign of ischemic injury or reperfusion injury.

Twenty-Four Hours After a Pediatric Patient Has Undergone Lung Transplantation