Arterial blood gases in pre-eclampsia.
Arterial blood gases, physiological dead space and percentage pulmonary venous admixture (physiological shunt) were measured in 31 patients with proteinuric pre-eclampsia. There was no difference in pulmonary function in 22 patients with moderate pre-eclampsia when compared with normal pregnancy, but in 9 patients with severe pre-eclampsia, there was a significant increase in alveolar-to-arterial PO2 difference and physiological shunt, indicating a degree of pulmonary ventilation/perfusion imbalance. There was no accompanying hypoxaemia, suggesting that the impairment was of no clinical importance.
D001158:Arteries; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D010313:Partial Pressure; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen