Pathophysiological analysis of hypoxaemia during acute severe asthma.
Blood gas measurements obtained during 35 episodes of acute, severe asthma in 19 children were analysed. Arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) was mean (SD) 5.7 (1.2) kPa and the arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) was 7.7 (1.1)kPa. Hypoxaemia was severe (PaO2 less than or equal to 7.9 kPa) on 19 occasions, was present alone (type I) on eight of these, and was associated with hypercapnia (type II) on 11. The PaO2 was similar in both the type I and type II subgroups, but PaCO2 was significantly higher in the type II and the alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference was significantly higher in the type I subgroup. Classification of acute respiratory failure into these two types proved useful in understanding the pathophysiology of acute, severe asthma. Type I failure, conventionally regarded as a precursor of type II, itself caused severe, critical hypoxaemia.
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in ADC Online
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
