The question of resuscitation after carbon monoxid asphyxia, such as follows illuminating gas poisoning, poisoning in mines and from automobile exhaust gases, has been the subject of investigation by a commission 1 on resuscitation since November, 1921. In its final report,2 just issued, after reviewing previous investigations on this subject, the commission announces the results of inquiries made along three lines: First, studies were made to determine whether or not the exuberant use of positive pressure ventilation—as with the lung motor or pulmotor—might not cause immediate cardiac or circulatory failure in seriously gassed patients. Investigations on animals indicated that such a belief was not well founded, and that lung rupture did not occur even when extreme pressures were used.
Next, the question whether or not the positive pressure apparatus might disseminate infection throughout the tissues was studied, and it was found that such apparatus does cause an increase in