AbstractWe investigated the effects of varying inspired oxygen concentrations on the resolution of oleic acid‐induced lung injury in rabbits. Rabbits were injected intravenously with oleic acid and maintained in room air, or exposed to 60, 70, or 80 oxygen for periods of 7 or 10 days. Oleic acid caused hemorrhagic pulmonary edema with hypoxemia. Hypoxemia was more profound in the oxygen‐treated animals, a difference that was significant after 7 days' exposure to 60 and 70 oxygen, and after 4 days to 80 oxygen. Mortality was increased in the animals maintained in 80 oxygen. The data suggest that environmental oxygen concentrations greater than 60 interfere with the return to normal lung function following oleic acid injury in rabbits. The hypoxemia may be due to either mismatching of ventilation and perfusion or to a diffusion block resulting from the increased septal width. There was no evidence of massive pulmonary edema as a cause of the hypoxemia. It was not possible to distinguish between injury primarily caused by oxygen and its interference with the healing proc
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