HEMATIC PARAMETERS IN CHRONIC HYPOXEMIA

The hematic effects of hypoxia have been studied in 184 patients divid ed in four groups: 1) 10 patients with PO2 values in capillary blood l ower than 43 mmHg; 2) 40 patients with PO2 between 43 and 50 mmHg; 3) 134 subjects with PO2 between 51 and 62 mmHg; and 4) 39 normal subject s (control). Hypoxemic subjects show higher erythrocyte concentrations than normoxemic ones, but without reaching the point of plycythemia a nd without significant differences in the hemoglobin concentration. Th e values of the mean corpuscular volume, the mean corpuscular hemoglob in and the concentration of the mean corpuscular hemoglobin show no si gnificant differences between the groups. The amplitude of the red cor puscle distribution has not shown statistically significant difference s between the groups of more pronounced hypoxia and those of slight hy poxia and control. The hematocrit, determined in the autoanalyzer, doe s not show any significant differences between the groups, whereas the one obtained by centrifugation is higher in the hypoxemic groups. Dif ferences are non-significant in platelet count, mean platelet volume, and platelet distribution among the groups. The leucocyte count yields progressively higher values as blood pO2 decreases, with an accompany ing increase in the percentage of neutrophyle granulocytes and a decre ase in lymphocytes. Leucocytes with peroxidasic activity are significa ntly higher when the oxygen offer is lower.