Hypoxemia and Hypocapnia in Asthma

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Abstract
BRONCHIAL asthma is a disease with a high incidence, far reaching socioeconomic effects and, most important, an apparently rising mortality, particularly among the young.1 2 3 The article by McFadden and Lyons in this issue of the Journal is timely in that it relates simple mechanical events to blood gas disturbances in a large group of patients with uncomplicated bronchial asthma.Hypoxemia occurs early during an attack and, as indicated by the low carbon dioxide tensions, is not the result of overall underventilation. In that regard asthmatic patients act like the group of patients with emphysema who have been called "pink puffers" . . .