Pneumoperitoneum in the Treatment of Pulmonary Emphysema

Abstract

PULMONARY emphysema is one of the most common, disabling and chronically progressive diseases seen in a general hospital. The usual sequence of emphysema, bronchitis, fibrosis and progressive respiratory insufficiency has defied attempts at prevention or treatment.General therapy of this disorder has included intermittent administration of oxygen and the use of bronchodilators and antibiotics — all of which increased the life span of these patients by minimizing the severity of acute bronchial infections.Attempts at specific therapy have been varied. Costal chondrectomy was used by Freund1 in 1906, with some improvement in the symptoms due to emphysema of long duration. . . .