Enhancement of hypoxemia by right-to-left atrial shunting in severe asthma.
We report two cases of severe hypoxemia due to right-to-left shunt in acute asthmatic patients. During acute asthma, the transmural right atrial pressure can be higher than left atrial pressure during inspiration and then induce a right-to-left shunt through inter-atrial communication leading to hypoxemia. Contrast echography as well as Doppler analysis can easily confirm the diagnosis.
Robert
R
R
Service de Réanimation Médicale, Hôpital Jean Bernard, Poitiers, France.
Ferrandis
J
J
Malin
F
F
Herpin
D
D
Pourrat
O
O
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology*