Articles: postoperative-complications.
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Arterial blood and expired gas samples were taken from 20 patients before operation and on the first day after upper abdominal surgery. After operation the patients were studied breathing air and also breathing 35% oxygen from a venturi-type mask. ⋯ The postoperative Pao2 during oxygen therapy correlated well with the postoperative Pao2 breathing air. Severely hypoxaemic patients show less improvement of oxygen tension during 35% oxygen therapy.
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Intravascular haemolysis is frequently seen in patients after heart valve replacement, but is often compensated. The cause of the haemolysis is traumatic damage of the red cells. It is more often seen after aortic, than after mitral replacement, because the transvalvular pressure gradient is higher and is more severe in ball valves than in disc valves. If substitution therapy with iron, folic acid, or even red cells fails, re-operation should be seriously considered.