OXYGEN LACK AND CARDIAC OUTPUT

Abstract

As one of the chief functions of the circulation is to supply oxygen to the tissues, the effects of deficiencies in the oxygenation and the oxygen carrying power of the blood on the rate of circulation in the body are of some importance. This is particularly true because many patients present phenomena due to alterations in the amount of hemoglobin or in the degree of oxygenation of hemoglobin. Studies concerning the effects of hemorrhage, anemia and anoxemia on the minute cardiac output of dogs have recently been made by us. The methods employed and the detailed results as well as the previous work bearing on these observations and the physiologic significance of the observations are reported elsewhere. 1 The purpose of this paper is to consider the clinical application of the experiments, and only such data are presented as seem necessary for this purpose. One feature worthy of emphasis is