Introduction:

Chronic alveolar hypoventilation is defined as the clinical condition by increased PaCO2 with normal pH Figures; at sea level ≥ 45 mmHg and in Mexico City (2200 masl) ≥ 38 mmHg, the latter due to a decrease in the partial and alveolar pressure of oxygen due to a drop in barometric pressure. Altitude generates increased work of breathing, increased volume/minute to maintain adequate PO2, eliminating CO2, negatively impacting ventilatory control in patients with chronic lung diseases.

Objective:

To describe the main characteristics of pediatric patients with chronic alveolar hypoventilation at moderate altitude.

Material and methods:

Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study, in patients from zero to 18 years of age in the period 2007 to 2020 treated at the National Institute of Pediatrics, Mexico City.

Results:

17 patients with chronic alveolar hypoventilation were found, with a median age of 6 years, in 58.82% of cases the etiology was peripheral; the most frequent daytime symptoms were tiredness and irritability (41.2%) and among the nocturnal symptoms were snoring (41.2%) and respiratory pauses (29.4%). In 41.2% some type of non-invasive ventilation device (NIV) was used; decrease in complications and symptoms was observed after one year of follow-up in both the groups with and without NIV; although without statistical significance.

Conclusions:

It was established that the main causes are peripheral, although NIV showed benefits, its use was recorded in less than half of the cases.