What is refractory hypoxemia?
hypoxemia is a condition in which oxygen levels in the blood are too low. Refractory hypoxemia is rare and refers to hypoxemia that cannot be repaired by giving the patient another oxygen to breathe. Usually, it develops as the end result of a state known as respiratory distress syndrome for adults, in which breathing becomes extremely difficult. Several techniques have been tested for the treatment of refractory hypoxemia, but no truly effective therapies have been found. Hypoxemia is a form of hypoxia, a more general term used to describe low oxygen levels in any part of the body, including tissues and blood. The most common causes of respiratory distress syndrome associated with hypoxemia are pneumonia or infections that overwhelmed the whole body. Normally, hypoxemia can be improved by giving patients oxygen, but refractory hypoxemia does not respond to Tje's treatment. This could be the result of lung bleeding, infection or heart failure. When the air spaces are filled with liquid, it also preventsNhaling oxygen in the transition to the blood vessels that line the lung spaces and enter the bloodstream. In this situation, blood oxygen levels remain unusually low despite oxygen administration.
The symptoms of hypoxemia include breathless, confusion and loss of consciousness. If the lungs are full of liquid, doctors can be able to hear characteristic cracking sounds while listening to the chest with a stethoscope. Refractory hypoxemia is diagnosed when blood oxygen levels do not improve after treatment of hypoxemia therapy, such as extra oxygen and mechanical ventilation.
A series of potentially beneficial has been tested with refractory hypoxemia treatment. These include lying patients on their queues using special ventilation techniques, where they are smaller than the usual air volumes administered faster and the administration of drugs that dilate blood vessels in the lungs. It is assumed that lying patients on their queues helpBreathe by allowing to open air spaces in the lungs. In further treatment, blood is pumped from the body through artificial lungs to increase oxygen levels before returning to the patient. Unfortunately, none of the therapies tested has shown a significant improvement in the survival of patients with refractory hypoxemia.