Respgirl1

In my field of practice I see this all the time. Albuterol is neither here nor there when it comes to CHF. If given it will not "drown" a pt. It also will not do anything for a CHF pt. Audible, crackling wheezes are fluid overload and Albuterol is not the drug of choice. CHF pts NEED CPAP & Diuretics! And all CPAP is is PEEP. CPAP is continuous positive airway pressure/PEEP positive end expiratory pressure. When applied it displaces the fluid surrounding the heart and in the lungs enough so the pt can breathe, diuretics(Lasix or Bumex) are then given so the pt. can get rid of the fluid. If not in a hospital setting, place a peep valve at the end of the "ambu" bag and start off with 6-8 of peep, as long as the pts blood pressure can sustain it. If the pressure drops dont use the peep. As the pt breathes in squeeze the bag and this will apply peep. Hope this helps