All issues > Volume 36(10); 1993

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1993;36(10):1375-1382. Published online October 15, 1993.

Arterial Blood Gas Analysis in Asthmatic Children

Dae Young DY Choi¹, Kyeong Cheol KC Yoon¹, Kang Woo KW Park¹, Sung Won SW Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, ST. Benedict Hospital, Pusan, Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to verify severity of asthma in asthmatic patients through the arterial blood gas analysis. Subjects were consisted of 103 patients (74 boys and 29 girls), between 2~13 years of ages. Clinically, asthmatic patients were classified into 6 groups, i.e., group 0(no rhonchi), group 1(rhonchi only), group 2(mild attack), group 3(moderate attack), group 4(severe attack), group 5(respiratory failure with disturbance of consciousness). PH kept normal range in the group 0, group 1, group 2 and group 3, but began decrease in the group 4. There was linear fall in Po2 paralleling with increasing severity of attack. Also, Pco2 kept normal range in the group 0, group 1 and group 2, but began increase in the group 3. The trend of So2 variation was similar to case of Po2, and began decrease in the group 3. HCO3- maintained normal level through the whole range. BE showed acidemia on the whole, and began distinctive decrease in the group 4 and group 5, especially. Hypoxemia, hypercapnia and acidmia were common in patients in severe attacks with disturbance of consciousness.

Keywords :Arterial blood gas analysis, Severity of asthma