BLOOD OXYGEN STUDIES IN PATIENTS WITH POLYCYTHEMIA AND IN NORMAL SUBJECTS 1

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Abstract
The degree of O2 saturation in arterial blood was studied in 48 patients with polycythemia vera, and comparisons made with results obtained in a series of 18 normal individuals, 5 cases of hypochromic anemia and 3 cases of polycythemia secondary to pulmonary or cardiac disease. Using the microgasometric method of Roughton and Scholander, normal values above 90% were found in all patients except the secondary polycythemics who showed decreased saturation. This would seem to indicate normal gas exchange across the alveolus-blood barrier in the resting patient with erythremia. The necessity of performing analyses shortly after samples are taken was shown by erroneously low values obtained when samples were stored for several hrs.