Arterial oxygen tension and high intracranial pressure

Abstract

Arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide tension was measured in spontaneously breathing rabbits whose intracranial pressure was raised by a freeze lesion, oil embolism, or hydrostatic pressure. Reports elsewhere had stated that high intracranial pressure led to hypoxaemia. In this series of experiments, arterial oxygen tension appeared to rise and carbon dioxide tension appeared to drop. Both changes were slight and not significant statistically. There was no evidence to suggest that arterial hypoxaemia is caused by high intracranial pressure.

Influence of oxygen supply upon vegetative functions during increased intracranial pressure

“…It has also been shown that artificial ventilation, with subsequent changes in blood gases, particularly the arterial partial pressure of carbondioxide (pCO2) and oxygen (pO2), influence the increased ICP, the cerebrovascular autoregulation, and the mortality, both in man and in experimental animals with acutely or subacutely increased ICP 2, r, ~3, 32, 33. 36, 89 On the other hand, Jenett and North (1975), as well as Valtonen (1975), found no significant influence of ICP upon blood gases, and Christensen et al (1975) and Krenn et al (1975) reported that controlled artificial ventilation did not influence patient's mortality.The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of increased ICP upon the course of the vegetative parameters in conditions of adequate oxygen supply. …”

Effect of an Acute Increase in Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure on Lung Compliance in the Rabbit

“…Other investigators were unable to demonstrate a neurally-mediated effect on the pulmonary circulation of an acute increase in i.c.p. (Valtonen, 1975;Jennett and North, 1976). It seems likely that the lung injury results from a massive, though evanescent, shift in blood volume from the systemic to the pulmonary circulation (Theodore and Robin, 1975).…”