[Changes in blood gas in burned patients in Xining]

The changes in arterial blood gas were observed and analysed in twenty-seven burned patients at high altitude. It was showed that a serious hypoxemia existed in burn patients, both in survivors and dead cases, and that hypoxemia occurred earlier in the cases with inhalation injury or dead cases than without inhalation injury. These results suggest that patients with inhalation injury should undergo tracheostomy as early as possible to ensure oxygen supply, and patients without inhalation injury should be give oxygen therapy routinely. ARDS occurred in all inhalation injury cases, and high frequency jet ventilation was effective in improving hypoxemia in such cases.