title: Hypercapnia in relation to pulmonary function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
abstract: Arterialized blood gases were analyzed in 143 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) to assess the relationship between forced vital capacity (FVC) and hypercapnia. The majority of patients studied had PaCO2 values in the low or normal range. Only six older patients had hypercapnia (PaCO2 greater than or equal to 45 mm Hg), and all these patients had FVC values less than or equal to 40% predicted. We conclude that hypercapnic respiratory failure occurs as a late preterminal event in DMD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chest Diseases, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Canny
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szeinberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koreska
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Levison
mesh_terms: D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014797:Vital Capacity
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide