Nutrition Health Chat: Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 5-6 PM Eastern. Learn how vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients affect your health. Free live Q&A. Join us!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum.  ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Respiratory Disorders  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Diagnosis
Answered by
CO
Make An Appointment
This forum is for questions and support regarding lung and respiratory issues such as: Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds - Flu, Chronic Cough, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Emphysema, Fibrosis, Lung Abscess, Nasal Polyps, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Sarcoidosis, Sinusitis, Tuberculosis.

Diagnosis

by peachy297, Aug 05, 2009 10:44AM
I am a 52 year-old woman and have been diagnosed by a pulmonologist as having Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Pulmonary Atelectasis Secondary to Obesity, and Cor Pulmonale.  I also have mild COPD.  

I had an ABG test performed in the past few days with the following results:

pH:  7.478
PCO2:  38.1
PO2:  52 mmHg
HCO3:  28.3 mmol/L
BEecf:  5 mmol/L
sO2:  89% (calculated)

I am currently on BiPAP with 6L of oxygen per night.

I just have a couple of questions.

1.  Have you ever heard of Pulmonary Atelectasis Secondary to Obesity (what I see online is related to anesthessia)?
2.  How bad is my PO2 reading of 52?
3.  What, in you opinion, is my prognosis?

Thanks for all your help and for providing this service to, effectively, the world but most of all to me!

by National Jewish Health, Aug 10, 2009 01:27PM
To: peachy297
Atelectasis occurs when there is pressure on the small airways of the lung that causes them to close up.  In obesity, the size of the abdomen can be cause of such atelectasis.  It is, of course, more prominent when the person in lying down.

A PO2 of 52 is a significant problem.  It is worth discussing wearing O2 24 hours a day.  This should be discussed with your Pulmonologist.

Without having a complete set of information, including lab tests, chest x-ray and a physical examination, this is not a good question for me to answer.  I would, however, suggest from the little information you have presented:

1. Make a significant effort at losing weight and beginning a sustained exercise program
2. Consider 24 hour a day oxygen therapy
Continue discussion
RSS Expert Activity
What You Can Learn From Tiger Woods...
Dec 04 by Steven Y Park, MD
When the Mexican Drug Trade Hits th...
Dec 03 by Arnold L Goldman, D.V.M.
In the ER: Coffee, anyone?
Dec 02 by Jon Geller, D.V.M.