Lung function in patients with left-to-right shunts.

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Abstract
Measurements of lung compliance and other aspects of pulmonary function were made in 97 patients with cardiac septal defects. Hyperkinetic pulmonary hypertension is associated with a reduction in lung compliance, and a significant inverse relation exists between the product of the pulmonary blood flow index and the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (designated the hyperkinetic index) on one hand and the lung compliance on the other. This reduction in compliance is not always associated with impaired ventilatory function. In 4 out of 7 patients lung compliance rose after surgical closure of an atrial septal defect. The significance of these findings were discussed.