POSTOPERATIVE VENTILATORY FAILURE IN A PATIENT WITH PRIMARY ALVEOLAR HYPOVENTILATION

slightly obese woman developed severe ventilatory failure which required assisted ventilation on the first day after an emergency appendicectomy. Subsequent investigation revealed a mild restrictive ventilatory defect, hypoxaemia and hypercapnia and an abnormal ventilatory response to carbon dioxide. The patient was considered to have primary alveolar hypoventilation and, because of this, was abnormally sensitive to narcotic analgesics.