Lungs are the target organ in chronic
hyperglycemia, but its large reserves causes a subclinical course of these changes. Given the results of other researchers indicating reduced active surface of gas exchange and pulmonary capillary damage, it can be assumed that diabetes and other hyperglycemic states diminish these reserves and impair effectiveness of respiratory gas exchange during
pneumonia. So it is plausible to observe coexistence of
glucose metabolism disorders and
respiratory failure in patients hospitalized with lower
respiratory tract infection. An observational study was conducted on 130 patients hospitalized with bacteriologically confirmed
pneumonia. 63 patients suffering from chronic
glucose metabolism disorders (A) and 67 randomly selected patients in control group (B) were observed on laboratory and clinical findings. There was no significant difference in prevalence of acute
respiratory failure, although in the study group a slightly greater number of patients diagnosed with acute
respiratory failure was observed. There was a significantly greater number of patients with previously confirmed chronic
respiratory failure using long-term
oxygen theraphy in A group (p = 0.029). The B patients with average
blood glucose level > 108 mg/dl had significantly lower partial pressure of
oxygen (PaO2)(gIc ≤ 108: 58.6 +/- 9.8; glc > 108: 51.7 +/- 11.1; p = 0.042). There was a statistically significant negative correlation of the average
blood glucose level and PaO2 in the control group (p = 0.0152) and a significant inverse association between the average
blood glucose level and the partial pressure of
oxygen in patients without
COPD belonging to the control group (p = 0.049).
Respiratory failure is frequent in patients hospitalized with
pneumonia. In patients without chronic
glucose metabolism disorders with
blood glucose level rising the
oxygen tension decreases The association is stronger in patients without
COPD.