pigginsick

I think you may be right CHF seems a goos guess with all that edema going about. You don't mention whether your patient was experiencing chest pain. The problem with Lasix is that it takes 20 to 40 mins to be effective, a good longer term help but won't do much for your patient in the short term. The Nitro would of course dilate the blood vessels thereby reducing somewhat the work load of the heart. You don't mention wether your service carries a CPap ventilator but if not using a BVM with oxygen at 15 ltrs would offer postive pressure ventilation for your patient. This would certainly help with breathing and would force some of the fluid from your opatients lungs. Thsi is a method of immediate relief for the patient that I have used many times with good results. Of course all the other support services was also offered as you did. Hope this may give you another point of view. NREMT-P in SC