title: Mechanisms of hypoxemia and hypercapnia in the perioperative period.
abstract: There are numerous mechanisms of hypoxemia and hypercapnia during the perioperative period. Mechanisms of hypoxemia include oxygen delivery problems, decreased FAC-CC relationship, hypoventilation, decreased cardiac output, increased oxygen consumption, decreased hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, and increased nonalveolar right-to-left shunting. Mechanisms of hypocapnia include increased carbon dioxide production, increased alveolar dead space, and increased external dead spaces. Pulmonary diseases often involve multiple mechanisms to produce hypoxemia and hypercapnia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, University of San Diego, California.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Foltz
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Benumof
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000209:etiology*; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology*; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D012119:Respiration