Hypoxaemia during mechanical ventilation for severe hyaline membrane disease following sedation with morphine sulphate

ABSTRACT. Severe hypoxaemia following sedation with morphine sulphate is reported during mechanical ventilation in an infant with severe hyaline membrane disease. The hypoxaemia was rapidly reversed with naloxone hydrochloride and was attributed to right-to-left shunting presumed secondary to pulmonary hypertension and not to alveolar hypoventilation or ventilation-perfusion imbalance.