Gac Med Mex
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Observational Study
[Obesity and its respiratory effects detected through levels of partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the supine position].
Obesity is a disease that is closely associated with deleterious respiratory effects such as the Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome which conventionally includes awake hypercapnia. There are studies addressing the detection of daytime hypercapnia with the patient either in sitting or standing position. However, there are no studies in obese subjects with a normal daytime PaCO2 in whom the detection of hypercapnia is made in the supine position. It is feasible that the physiopathological changes that occur in obese patients when they adopt the supine position lead to increased PaCO2 levels or hypercapnia. ⋯ We can achieve an early detection of Obesity hipoventilation syndrome in obese patients with a normal daytime PaCO2 by performing the arterial blood gas test in the supine position before these patients develop severe complications.