Pulmonary function variation in ventilator dependent critically ill infants on peritoneal dialysis.

Four ventilator dependent infants on PD for acute renal failure underwent pulmonary function (PFT) evaluation at varying times in the PD cycle. Mid dwell peak intraperitoneal pressure (IPP) correlated with a significant decrease in pulmonary compliance and increase in air way resistance. This further correlated with a decrease in PO2 and an increase in PCO2 on arterial blood gas analysis. Etiology of the PFT changes appear to correlate most closely with IPP yet other factors including pulmonary artery shunting as well as hypercapnea secondary to a 4.25% dialysate are being evaluated as additional causative factors.