Effect of adenotonsillectomy on arterial blood gases and acid-base balance

Mouth breathing in children with learning disorders

“…Although the authors claim that pO 2 and pCO 2 changes exist, we know that pH does not change much in children, for they can easily compensate their acid-base balance 5 . However, other studies show that severe changes in pH, which probably occurred because of the long time and/or intensity of the mechanism that led to airway obstruction, may have been the cause of involvement of the cardiopulmonary system, and the reason for such involvement was because their compensatory systems were exhausted 16 , 17 .…”

“…Despite the poor documentation on how nasal obstruction, in its various degrees, interfere or not with learning, it is known that relative hypoxemia (pO 2 of approximately 72 mmHg) would not be physiologically significant 5 . The degree of involvement of this relative hypoxemia, vis-à-vis the cognitive systems of students in their learning period, besides not being detected, is not well understood, it is difficult to stipulate the critical limits for oxygen levels that can affect the central nervous system.…”

“…Although the relationship of nasal obstruction with learning is not fully understood, we know that chronic nasal obstruction may precipitate recurrent infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract, and this is an important factor in the development of cardiopulmonary syndrome. Therefore, the consequences of respiratory disorders in learning, in its various degrees, are not fully appreciated 5 .…”