CARDIAC FAILURE SECONDARY TO INEFFECTIVE BELLOWS ACTION OF THE CHEST CAGE

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Abstract
-Ventilatory studies were performed on two patients, one of whom had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; the other had extensive calcific pleuritis of undetd. etiology. These patients both had defective bellows action of the chest wall. In both cases there resulted a reduction in vital capacity and maximum breathing capacity, with ineffective alveolar ventilation manifested by high arterial carbon dioxide pressure and arterial oxygen unsaturation. Hypercapnea, anoxia, and polycythemia represented factors favoring medullary center damage. There was no evidence of significant intrinsic pulmonary disease.