Open AccessThe Surface Tension of Upper Airway Secretions in Patients With and Without Respiratory Disease
Author(s) -
Theodore H. Stanley,
Bashir Zikria
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
anesthesia and analgesia/anesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.404
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1526-7598
pISSN - 0003-2999
DOI - 10.1213/00000539-197509000-00008
Subject(s) - medicine , respiratory system , airway , respiratory disease , anesthesia , intensive care medicine , lung
The alveolar-arterial oxygen partial pressure (PAaO2) difference and surface tension of upper airway secretions (UASST) were simultaneously measured in 33 intubated patients. Patients without respiratory disease had UASST and PAaO2 gradients significantly lower than those with chronic obstructive lung disease. Patients in respiratory failure had UASST and PAaO2 gradients significantly higher than when they were out of failure. Correlation of UASST with PAaO2 was good (r = 0.81). These findings demonstrate that UASST closely correlate with the severity of pulmonary disease and suggest that their measurement may be a simple, clinically applicable method of assessing alveolar surfactant function.