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Gas Exchange |
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Work of breathing
Dr. Jukka Takala
Kuopio University Hospital
Kuopio, Finland
Article also available in 
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| Case history The
patient is a 40 year old male with pneumococcal pneumonia and ARDS
and currently recovering from a severe oxygenation failure. He has
been sedated and mechanically ventilated. |
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Case report
Sedation was gradually decreased and the patient began to regain consciousness. The ventilation was changed to pressure support mode (PSV).
Both oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbondioxide production (VCO2) increased as the work of breathing increased with spontaneous breathing. The trend picture shows no changes in hemodynamic parameters: heart rate, SpO2, systemic arterial pressure, CVP or pulmonary artery pressure.
Patient was subsequently switched back to controlled
mechanical ventilation after which a dramatic drop in VO2
and VCO2 were
noted as the patient’s work of breathing was reduced.
Last updated: 1 March 2001Created |
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Healthcare 2008 ISSN 1795-6269 (Web) ISSN 1795-6277 (CD) |
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