Abstract
In infants recovering from hyaline membrane disease (HMD) persistent hypoxemia has been identified which seems not to result from venoarterial shunting [ADAMSON et al., Pediatrics 44: 168, 1969] but which could be due either to pulmonary diffusing defect or to ventilation/perfusion imbalance. Since the arterial-alveolar N2 difference (aADN2) and venous-alveolar N2 difference (vADN2) are unaffected by diffusion defect or by venoarterial shunting but are increase by impairment of ventilation with respect to perfusion, we have measured vADM2 in a group of 10 normal low birth weight infants and in 4 infants convalescing from HMD. (Simultaneous comparison of vADN2 and aADN2 in seven infants revealed no significant difference.) In antoher 4 infants convalenscing from HMD the alveolar-arterial O2 difference (AaDO2) and arterial-alveolar CO2 difference (aADCO2) were also examined.
Unlike the hypoxemia seen in infants with early and developing HMD (which is due to an inequality of perfusion and a persistence of venoarterial shunting), the present findings suggest that it is inequality of ventilation which is mainly responsible for persistent hypoxemia during convalescence from HMD.
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Pathak, A., Morrison, L., Prudent, L. et al. Ventilatory Disturbance and Arterial-Alveolar N2 Differences During Recovery from Hyaline Membrane Disease. Pediatr Res 4, 479 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197009000-00176
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197009000-00176