Menu Home

Too much oxygen in critical illness?

Humans and other animals have evolved adaptations to hypoxia, most famously among high altitude people. Oxygen availability, especially at the tissue level, varies at sea level too. Adaptation to hypoxic stress is important in wound healing, defense against infection, and protection from sepsis. Hypoxia stimulated HIF-1α has a key role […]

Oxygen tradeoffs in early life

Is it normal to be hypoxic in the earliest stages of life? Maltepe and Saugstad 2009 write: “It is known that oxygen levels are low in fetal life with saturations as low as 50% or even lower. After birth, arterial oxygen saturation increases slowly and reaches 90% with a median […]