Pulmonary Function in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Of 73 patients with acute myocardial infarction 57 (78%) showed evidence of pulmonary congestion. This was associated with arterial hypoxaemia, which could be relieved by oxygen therapy or, if severe, by diuretics. It is suggested that pulmonary congestion is the commonest cause of hypoxaemia in myocardial infarction and that its treatment may improve the prognosis in acute myocardial infarction. Our thanks are due to Dr. E. J. M. Campbell, who first suggested this investigation, for his continued advice and helpful criticism. We are also grateful to the physicians at the Central Middlesex Hospital (Dr. R. Asher, Dr. K. P. Ball, Dr. H. Joules, and Dr. F. Avery Jones), on whose patients these observations were made. The majority of the blood-gas estimations were carried out by Miss C. Bruyns and Miss M. O’Brien, whose help it is a pleasure to acknowledge. Dr. M. W. McNicol, Miss Bruyns, and Miss O'Brien were supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council, who also financed the running of the laboratory. © 1965, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.