Pulmonary Lesions Associated with Oxygen Therapy and Artificial Ventilation

CLINICIANS concerned with the care of patients requiring mechanical artificial ventilation have been impressed by the occasional development of gradually progressive deterioration of pulmonary function, apparently unrelated to the disease that necessitated the respiratory assistance. These patients have increasing reduction in pulmonary compliance and vital capacity, with consequent hypoxia, are difficult to wean from the ventilator and often die of pulmonary insufficiency.1 Many have had no respiratory or cardiac disease before the use of the ventilator. Clinicians have referred to this symptom complex as the "respirator lung syndrome." " At autopsy in such cases the unusual gross and microscopical appearance of . . .