title: Mathematical model of oxygen transport: a teaching aid for normal physiology adaptable to extracorporeal oxygenation circuits.
abstract: The ultimate aim of most intensive care therapies is to improve tissue oxygen delivery; consequently, a detailed knowledge of this area of physiology is important to a wide range of Critical Care Staff. We describe a simple mathematical model of oxygen transport that was initially written as a training aid for extracorporeal oxygenation training. The model has subsequently proved useful for explaining the determinants of oxygen transport to a broader audience. It is based on simple linear equations and is easily displayed with a standard computer spreadsheet. Apart from its teaching value, the model can also generate a graph of oxygen saturation vs. inspired oxygen fraction for different degrees of pulmonary shunt. This provides a noninvasive method for determining the magnitude of pulmonary venous admixture and may also prove to have some clinical value.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Children's Health: South Pacific, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seear
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hui
mesh_terms: D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000502:physiology; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010827:Physiology / Q000193:education*; D013664:Teaching Materials
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen