In mothers nursed in a semi-recumbent position, arterial oxygen tension was measured at the beginning and END OF AN an intermittent period of inhalation, Lasting for six contractions, during the first stage of labour. Ten mothers had methoxyflurane 0.35 per cent and air, followed by methoxyflurane 0.35 per cent with approximately 50 per cent oxygen. Another 10 mothers had 50 per cent nitrous ox...

Nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has been widely used in the treatment of chronic respiratory disease. Ventilators may be volume or pressure preset; each type has theoretical advantages, but to date there has been no formal comparison. We wanted to assess the efficacy on blood gas changes that may be achieved and overall acceptability of four nasal ventilators (two press...

Changes in arterial oxygen tensions in nine anaesthetized patients during controlled ventilation with either 79% nitrous oxide in oxygen or air only, were measured continuously using an intra-arterial oxygen electrode. When the patients were ventilated with the mixture, there was a significant increase in PaO2 of 2.74 +/- 1.08 kPa (P less than 0.002) over control values obtained while the subje...

Oxygen diffusion across the alveolar wall is compromised by low alveolar oxygen but also by pulmonary edema, and leads to hypoxemia and hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV). To test, whether inhibition of alveolar fluid reabsorption results in an increased pulmonary arterial pressure and whether this effect enhances HPV, we established a model, where anesthetized rats were ventilated with n...

The effects of changes in PaCO2 and PaO2 on the swallowing reflex were studied in anaesthetized, vagotomized, paralysed and artificially ventilated cats. The swallowing reflex was induced by electrical stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN). This initially suppressed activity in the phrenic nerve (PN). The swallowing reflex was then identified by a characteristic brief burst of PN ac...

In an attempt to find the least invasive, safest, easiest, and cheapest method of obtaining resting and exercise samples of arterial blood, a comparison was made between samples from an arterial needle puncture and an arterial cannula. This study demonstrated that samples of arterial blood may be obtained by radial arterial puncture both at rest and during exercise in practically all cases with...

In 11 patients with bronchial asthma, lung volumes, FEV1.0, PaO2, and lung diffusing capacity (single breath CO method) were measured in status asthmaticus and after recovery. Ventilatory capacity improved following therapy. The improvement was associated with a rise in vital capacity and a fall in residual volume, but the total lung capacity might either decrease, increase or remain unchanged....

We have tested the hypothesis that severe lypoxia causes apnea, regardless of the arterial CO2 and pH, and that extreme hypoxia causes gasping. Acute experiments with airway occlusion and with low inspired oxygen (FIo2) were performed on anesthetized adult dogs and monkeys. Arterial oxygen saturation was recorded continuously with fiberoptic oximetry, and Pco2 by an electrode catheter. In addit...

Detection of nocturnal hypoxaemia, defined as a mean arterial oxygen saturation below 90%, in normoxic or mildly hypoxic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients seems clinically relevant, since this feature may precede pulmonary hypertension. Nocturnal studies are expensive and time-consuming procedures. The current study investigates to what extent it is possible to predict noctu...

The adherence to entry criteria and results of one year long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) in Poland were analysed. Four hundred and seven patients with advanced respiratory failure due to chronic lung diseases qualified for LTOT were observed for one year in 12 regional LTOT centres. There were 315 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 92 with other chronic lung diseases....