TOC | Pulm Hypoxemia

Differential Diagnosis:

• Alveolar Hypoventilation:
  COPD, respiratory muscle impairment (Drug overdose, Coma)
• Diffusion impairment at the alveolar capillary membrane:
  fibrosis, penumonitis, ARDS, CHF
• Mismatch between ventilation & perfusion:
  COPD, pulmonary embolism
• Right-to-left intrapulmonary shunting of blood:
  pulmonary edema
• Low inspired or mixed venous oxygen tension:
  anemia, low cardiac output, fever, low O2 in air.

Alveolar-arterial O2 tension difference P(A-a)O2 < 10-15 mmHg normally

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