Summary
9 subjects, 3 males and 6 females, were investigated in the course following “atypical” penumonia with a series of cardio‐pulmonary function tests at two occasions with an average time interval of 23 weeks. The first investigation was in eight cases carried out a few days or weeks after end of the acute infectious phase when the x‐ray picture was almost or entirely normalized and in one cases after 12 months.
The rate of work performed at a pulse rate of 170 beats/min. (W170) was found to have increased considerably in relation to heart volume. The heart volume was not significantly different from, although lower than a normal material at the first investigation and in fairly close agreement with this normal material at the second one. Moderate orthostatic pulse reactions were found in some cases at the first investigation, but were almost absent six months later.
The static lung volumes were found to be somewhat low at the first, but within normal limits at the second investigation.
Alveolar ventilation was within normal limits at both investigations.
Nitrogen wash‐out index was likewise found to be within normal limits at both investigations, although somewhat higher at the first test occasion in some cases.
The diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide was shown to be somewhat low in relation to predicted normal value at both investigations at rest and during exercise as well in absolute terms as in relation to midcapacity, indicating that the membrane diffusion capacity was more or less affected.
The anatomical shunts, which were higher than normal in all cases at the first investigation, were found to have decreased considerably in all cases but two.
Oxygen transport during exercise was at the first investigation in some cases mainly limited by circulatory factors alone or in combination with diffusion disturbances and/or venous admixture due to anatomical shunt. At the second investigation about six months later these factors were hardly of a magnitude as to have a limiting effect on oxygen transport during exercise although, in most cases, still not normalized.