Quantitative Studies of the Human Neonatal Circulation

Abstract

Summary Ten premature infants were investigated with respect to central and peripheral circulatory patterns. Five of the patients had the typical picture of respiratory distress syndrome of varying severity whereas the rest were free of pulmonary pathology. The circulation in the premature infants without respiratory distress is characterized by pulmonary as well as systemic hyperkinesis and the presence of small right‐left shunts through the foramen ovale. In contrast to the findings in healthy premature infants, the respiratory distress cases usually had a low systemic and pulmonary perfusion with pronounced intra – as well as extra pulmonary right‐left shunts.

The Pulmonary Vascular Pattern in Idiopathic Respiratory Distress

“…The controversy concerning the structural background of the large right to left shunt known to be present in IRDS (19,23,27) should be settled for the time being. The absence of arterio-venous or large arteryartery anastomoses in the human lung in IRDS as shown by microangiography is noteworthy and the only explanation at present of a R-L shunt in the lung is a passage of blood through nonor poorly ventilated parenchyma.…”