The alveolar-arterial difference in oxygen tension increases with temperature-corrected determination during moderate hypothermia

Moderate hypothermia (32-33 degrees C) occurs in anesthetic practice. However, intrapulmonary gas exchange and the effect of temperature correction of blood gases on. oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange have not been investigated in these patients. We investigated alveolar-arterial difference in oxygen tension (AaDO(2)) and arterial to end-tidal difference in carbon dioxide (Pa-ETCO2) during rewarming of eight ASA physical status I patients from hypothermia of 32 degrees C. Anesthesia wits maintained with fentanyl/prapofal. AaDO(2) and Pa-ETCO2 were assessed by analyzing arterial blood gases and saturated water vapor pressure, uncorrected or corrected to actual body temperature. The respiratory quotient (RQ) was measured by calorimetry. After temperature correction of blood gases and water vapor pressure, the AaDO(2) was significantly higher at 33 and 32 degrees C compared with 36 degrees C (56 +/- 13 and 64 +/- 14 vs 39 +/- 10 mm Hg; P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). The deterioration of pulmonary oxygen exchange was not detected if arterial blood gases and water vapor pressure were not corrected. The RQ did not change during moderate hypothermia compared with 36 degrees C. The temperature-corrected Pa-ETCO2 was not affected by hypothermia. We conclude that AaDO(2) is increased during moderate hypothermia. This is only detected when water vapor pressure and arterial blood gases are corrected to actual body temperature. Implications: We investigated intrapulmonary oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange during moderate hypothermia (32 degrees C) in eight patients. If oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor pressure were corrected to actual body temperature, the alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference was increased during hypothermia. The carbon dioxide tension difference and the respiratory quotient were unaffected by hypothermia.