title: [Pulmonary ventilation/perfusion ratio].
abstract: The ratios of ventilatory (V) and perfusion (Q) flow rates in the lung are to a large extent responsible for the efficiency of gas exchange. In a simplified monocompartmental model of the lung, the arterial partial pressure of a given gas (Pa) is a function of several factors: the solubility of this gas in blood, its venous and inspired partial pressures and the V/Q ratio. In a multicompartemental model, the mean arterial partial pressure of the gas is a function of the individual values of Pa in each compartment as well as the distribution of V/Q ratios in the lung and the relationship between the concentration and the partial pressure of the gas. The heterogeneity of the distribution of V/Q results from those of both V and Q. Two factors are mainly responsible for this heterogeneity: the gravity and the morphometric characteristics of bronchi and vessels. V/Q ratios are partially controlled at least in low V/Q compartments since hypoxia in these compartments leads to pulmonary arteriolar vasoconstriction. However lungs V/Q ratios range from 0.1 to 10 with a mode around 1. Age, muscular exercise, posture, accelerations, anesthesia, O2 breathing, pulmonary pathology are factors which may alter the distribution of V/Q ratios.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie, UER III, Université de Bordeaux II, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guenard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio
vernacular_title: Le rapport ventilation/perfusion pulmonaire.