Treatment of Acute Respiratory Acidosis in Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease

Abstract

In the treatment of 87 episodes of acute respiratory acidosis in 62 patients with chronic obstructive lung disease, the basic approach to therapy was maintenance of adequate arterial oxygenation by low-flow controlled oxygen supplementation, with relatively infrequent use of intubation and controlled ventilation. The overall survival rate of 71.3% (62 patients survived episode, 25 died) compares favorably with survival rates of other reported series in which artificial ventilation was emphasized, especially when one considers the severity of the episodes and the nature of the disease.