The Circulatory Effects of Acute

Respiratory failure may be defined as the inability to maintain normal oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions in the arterial blood under normal atmospheric conditions. This condition will lead to serious functional disturbances of the cardiovascular system if hypoxia and hypercapnoea become severe. In addition, parenchymatous disease of the lungs, disorders affecting the mechanics of the thoracic compartment, and disorders affecting the lung blood vessels themselves will impair normal blood flow through the lungs. As a result of these changes the function of the heart and circulation will be disturbed, and will ultimately lead to congestive cardiac failure. Cor pulmonale may be defined as that group of circulatory disorders arising as a result of parenchymatous disease of the lungs themselves, and acute cor pulmonale may further be defined as heart failure secondary to acute parenchymatous lung disease associated with respiratory failure. It is the purpose of the present paper to review the acute circulatory changes associated with respiratory failure, and also to discuss possible circulatory effects that may be produced by some of the resuscitative procedures often used in the treatment of patients with acute respiratory failure.