PEDIATRICS Vol. 30 No. 6 December 1962, pp. 975-989
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nelson, N. M.
Right arrow Articles by Smith, C. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nelson, N. M.
Right arrow Articles by Smith, C. A.

PULMONARY FUNCTION IN THE NEWBORN INFANT

II. Perfusion—Estimation by Analysis of the Arterial-Alveolar Carbon Dioxide Difference

N. M. Nelson M.D.1, L. S. Prod'hom M.D.1, R. B. Cherry M.A.1, P. J. Lipsitz M.D.1, and C. A. Smith M.D.1

1 Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, the Boston Lying-in Hospital, and the Children's Hospital Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts

The arterial-alveolar tension gradient for CO2 has been investigated in 17 normal new born infants and in 15 with some degree of respiratory distress. Whereas the normal infants had virtually no Pco2 gradient from pulmonary capillary to alveolus, an average difference of 13.9 mm Hg was detected in sick infants. This gradient for Pco2 is caused by increased alveolar (and total physiological dead space, the relative amount of which closely parallels the clinical course of the disease. The data obtained indicate the increase in alveolar dead space to be largely due to poor perfusion of ventilated alveoli. In severely ill infants more than 60% of ventilated alveoli appear to be under-perfused.

Submitted on April 27, 1962
Accepted on August 26, 1962