[Head injury and disturbed pulmonary function (author's transl)]

Results compiled from the literature confirm the occurrence of a neurogenic initiated disturbance of pulmonary function. Neurogenic pulmonary oedema is a rare but grave form of neurogenic triggered changes of pulmonary and haemodynamic parameters. Increase of intracranial pressure or cerebral hypoxia, respectively, is the starting point of mechanisms, mediated primarily by the sympathetic nervous system and leading to hypoxaemia accompanying head injury. Pulmonary parameters involved are decreased pulmonary compliance, increased pulmonary right-to-left-shunt as well as disturbances of mechanisms regulating ventilation-perfusion ratio. Moreover, there exists a relationship between the severity of head injury and the degree of hypoxaemia.