Chest
Volume 75, Issue 5, May 1979, Pages 571-574
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Clinical Investigations
Abnormalities in Lung Elastic Properties and Surfactant Function in Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

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We have examined the lungs from five patients who died with the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Pressure volume curves were obtained and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was studied on a surface balance. The pressure volume curves revealed reduced compliance compared to normal or near normal lungs. A significant loss of volume was also found. The data obtained from the surface balance studies show a normal range of minimum surface tendon when compared to “normals,” but the ARDS lung lavage fluid revealed an increase in surface film compressibility relative to “normal.” The increased compressibility may be an important factor contributing to the stiff lungs of patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

All patients were previously healthy and fulfilled the definition of the adult respiratory distress syndrome.2 The first specimen was obtained from a transplantation donor with brain death following massive trauma. Details of this case and the surfactant abnormalities found have been reported elsewhere.1 Five additional specimens were obtained from autopsy specimens. The salient clinical details from these five cases as well as the first reported case1 are summarized in Table 1.

All lungs were

Results

Figure 1 presents the mean static deflation pressure volume curves as a percentage of the measured total lung capacity (TLC) for all ARDS lungs compared to six control lungs studied in identical fashion. Reduced compliance is present from 10 to 2 cm H2O pressure (P < 0.05). Figure 2 shows the mean static deflation pressure volume curves presented as a percentage of predicted TLC. The total lung volumes were compared with predicted values by converting the total lung volume of a single lung

Comment

Data from five additional lung specimens obtained fresh after varying intervals following the initial lung injury and the onset of ARDS appear to confirm our earlier report. Again we found abnormal PV curves as in the original study. The magnitude of the increase in surface compressibility was of similar degree in all six ARDS specimens. The statistical significance of this increased compressibility was borderline.

Surface compressibility (C), C = (1/A)dA/dγ, or its reciprocal which is surface

References (8)

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Supported by National Institutes of Health Grants HL05933, HL07055, HL17544 and HL17444.

Manuscript received June 30; revision accepted October 13.

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