British Journal of Anaesthesia, 1972, Vol. 44, No. 4 350-354
© 1972 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia
research-article |
THE EFFECT OF INSPIRED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION ON INTRAPULMONARY RIGHT-TO-LEFT SHUNT DURING POSTOPERATIVE MECHANICAL VENTILATION
Department of Cardiac Surgery of the University of Basel/Switzerland 4000Basel/Switzerland
A consecutive series of patients undergoing cardiac surgery for valve replacement was divided into two groups. The first underwent postoperative artificial ventilation using the oxygen-driven Bird ventilator. The inspiratory oxygen concentration was 83%. In the second group a Bird ventilator was also used but with an oxygen concentration of 40%. In the first group the intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt rose to an average of 17% during the first two postoperative daysand in the second group to an average of 9%. The study supports the view that the inspiratory oxygen concentration should only be kept high enough to achieve a normal oxygen saturation of arterial blood.