ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Background The values of arterial blood gases (ABG) change with altitude above sea level; empirical verification is essential because ventilatory acclimatization varies with ethnicity and a population's adaptation. Objective The aim of the study was to describe ABG in a healthy population residing at 2,240 meters above sea level, to identify the mean level of alveolar ventilation (PaCO2), and to know whether a progressive increase in PaCO2 occurs with age and the impact of increasing body mass index (BMI). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in a referral center for respiratory diseases in Mexico City. Associations among variables with correlation coefficient and regression models of PaO2, SaO2, and P(A-a)O2 as dependent variables as a function of age, BMI, minute ventilation, or breathing frequency were explored. Results Two hundred and seventeen healthy subjects were evaluated with a mean age of 40 ± 15 years, mean of the PaO2 was 71 ± 6 mmHg, SaO2 94% ± 1.6%, PaCO2 30.2 ± 3.4 mmHg, HCO3 20 ± 2 mmol/L, BE-2.9 ± 1.9 mmol/L, and the value of pH was 7.43 ± 0.02. In a linear regression, the main results were PaO2 = 77.5-0.16*age (p < 0.0001) and with aging P(A-a)O2 tended to increase 0.12 mmHg/year. PaCO2 in women increased with age by 0.075 mmHg/year (p = 0.0012, PaCO2 =26.3 + 0.075*age). SaO2 and PaO2 decreased significantly in women with higher BMI 0.14% and 0.52 mmHg per kg/m2, (p = 0.004 and 0.002 respectively). Conclusion Mean PaCO2 was 30.7 mmHg, implying a mean alveolar ventilation of around 30% above that at sea level.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a major health challenge worldwide due to its increasing incidence and mortality, which have serious repercussions for health-care systems. Methods We conducted a review of international efforts to control COPD in primary care. Results The WHO created the Alma-Ata declaration which established for the first time, access to health care as a human right. This precept led to the implementation of numerous programs including practical approach to Lung Health and variants in several countries; schemes designed to centralize medical care; and resources to improve attention of respiratory diseases by adapting approaches to the health-care needs of local populations. Primary respiratory health care should include actions for timely detection, health education, and targeted treatment, but the challenge for all health systems is to ensure that their programs function adequately, for they still show shortcomings in terms of their application. Conclusions We conclude that offering primary health care based on models that combine opportune diagnoses with suitable treatment can positively influence the course of COPD by treating early stages, thus slowing its progression. However, more extensive education and broader dissemination of information are necessary to achieve this goal.