[A study of postoperative respiratory function].
The purpose of this study is to investigate the causes of postoperative respiratory failure from the point of view of respiratory movement and respiratory function, using a respigraph. Thirty patients who had laparotomy, thoracotomy or both were studied. A-aDo2 increased after operation. The values recovered slowly in the order of thoracotomy, laparotomy, was thoraco-laparotomy group. Percent vital capacity (% VC), one second timed force expiratory volume (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were suppressed immediately after operations and increased slowly, but showed still lower values even on the 7th day. VT, V min, f, TI/TT, VT/TI and PaCO2 were almost at the same levels among the three groups. Percent rib cage (% of RC) increased and remained high on the 7th day after laparotomy and thoraco-laparotomy, but showed no remarkable changes after thoracotomy. Between A-aDo2 and % RC in laparotomy group, there was a good correlation. Not only FRC but also the change of % RC seemed to have caused postoperative hypoxemia. The movement of the abdomen affected respiratory dysfunction more than the movement of the thorax after thoracic and abdominal surgery.
Kawamae
K
K
Department of Anesthesiology, General Aizu Central Hospital, Aizuwakamatsu.
Konishi
A
A
Akama
Y
Y
Tase
C
C
Okuaki
A
A
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*; D013908:Thoracotomy