An unusual condition caused by an excessive concentration of oxygen in inspired air resulting in damage to lung tissue.
Oxygen toxicity in human lungs causes an acute oedema followed by fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. In newborns, especially very premature ones, eye damage may be caused by growth of new vessels over the retina. The lungs may also be damaged in this age group, and the risks and benefits of oxygen therapy need careful evaluation.
Tissue damage caused by the presence of partially reduced forms of oxygen (so-called “oxygen radicals” or “reactive oxygen species”). Persons at risk include those individuals who are exposed to high concentrations of oxygen, especially when it is delivered under pressure (e.g., patients receiving mechanical ventilation or hyperbaric oxygen treatment, or scuba divers). Damage to the fragile lipid membranes of the cells that line the lungs may result in progressive respiratory failure, which in turn leads to decreased oxygen tension in the blood.