Recumbent deoxygenation in mild/moderate liver cirrhosis: the “Clinodeoxia”. The ortho-clino paradigm

In mild/moderate liver cirrhosis the postural variations in PaO2 follow the normal trends, but are of greater magnitude probably as a consequence of hypoventilated units of lung for postural and disease-linked tidal airway closure, resulting in more pronounced recumbent hypoxemia (“clinodeoxia”).