Abstract
We report two cases of severe hypoxemia due to right-to-left shunt in acute asthmatic patients. During acute asthma, the transmural right atrial pressure can be higher than left atrial pressure during inspiration and then induce a right-to-left shunt through inter-atrial communication leading to hypoxemia. Contrast echography as well as Doppler analysis can easily confirm the diagnosis.
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Robert, R., Ferrandis, J., Malin, F. et al. Enhancement of hypoxemia by right-to-left atrial shunting in severe asthma. Intensive Care Med 20, 585–587 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01705727
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01705727