Vectorcardiographic assessment of acute hypoxia effects in pulmonary hypertension due to chronic bronchitis.

Objective: Vectorcardiography (VCG) QRS loop area is thought to reflect hemodynamic abnormalities in cardiac lesions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the response of VCG QRS loop area and intrapulmonary flow (PF) to acute hypoxia in patients with chronic bronchitis (CB) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Methods: One-hundred and eleven patients (mean age 45.

[Effect of altitude on blood oxygenation during sleep in patients with bronchial asthma].

The aim of our study was to investigate the severity of overnight arterial blood desaturations in patients with asthma at the altitude of 3200 meters above sea level. 12 asthmatics and 12 healthy controls were investigated. Three overnight pulsoximetries were performed in all subjects, one at the lowland and on the 1st and 5th night at the altitude.

Effects of acetazolamide on overnight oxygenation and acute mountain sickness in patients with asthma.

The aim of the study was to assess effects of acetazolamide in prevention of acute mountain sickness (AMS) and on overnight oxygenation, in patients with asthma treated at the altitude of 3,200 m. Sixteen patients with asthma, 6 males and 10 females, mean age 32 yrs, were first investigated at low altitude (760 m). They presented with mild airways obstruction, normal arterial blood gases, and normal oxygenation at night studied by pulse oximetry.