Shock, Seizures, and Coma with Alkalosis During Mechanical Ventilation

EFFECTIVE THERAPY for patients with se-vere repiratory failure has produced new hazards which include increased aci-dosis during oxygen administration (1), pneumonia from breathing aerosols from contaminated nebulizers (2), cardiac ar-rhythmias associated with rapid reduction of carbon dioxide tension (3, 4), and hypo-chloremic alkalosis from rapid removal of carbon dioxide in chloride-depleted pa-tients (5-7). Deterioration of mental and neurologic function has been associated frequently with increased acidosis due to reduction of alveolar ventilation (8-10). Recently confusion, seizures, and shock have been described in patients with severe