Abstract
We examined the changes in arterial blood gas, FEV_1 and V_<50> after the inhalation of procaterol on 19 occasions in 16 asthmatic children. The initial value of PaO_2 had statistically significant correlation with the initial values of %FEV_1 and %V<50>. PaO_2 fell down in 11 out of 19(57.9%)and remarkably decreased more than 5mmHg in 6 out of 19 (31.6%). The fall in PaO_2 was most significant at 5 min after the inhalation in almost subjects. The changes in PaO_2 after the inhalation had good correlation with the initial value of %FEV_1 and %V<50>. The initial values were quite lower in the patients with decreased PaO_2 more than 5mmHg than those with increased PaO_2. Severe patients showed statistically low values of the initial PaO_2 and %V<50> and showed a fall in PaO_2 after inhalation compared with moderate patients. An increase in A-aDO_2 elicited that deteriorations of V/Q ratio caused a decrease in PaO_2 after inhalation. There were no significant changes in heart rates and no complaints of nausea, headache or tremor.
