Postobstruction pulmonary edema.

Several occurrences of pulmonary edema following relief of acute upper airway obstruction have been reported. The edema is associated with normal cardiac filling pressures and responds promptly to conservative therapy. Its origin may be attributed to the cardiopulmonary effects of the vigorous inspiratory effort that the spontaneously breathing patient generates to overcome respiratory obstruction (the Müller maneuver). A patient with postobstruction pulmonary edema complicated by hypovolemia and myocardial infarction is described. Prompt invasive hemodynamic monitoring in selected high-risk patients is suggested.