title: Determination of alveolar-capillary O2 partial pressure gradient by using 15NO.
abstract: We propose an approach for determining the alveolar-mean capillary oxygen (O(2)) partial pressure gradient to evaluate the efficiency of O(2) equilibration between alveolar space and pulmonary capillary blood. For this purpose, measurements of the pulmonary [(15)N]nitric oxide diffusing capacity are to be interpolated into the recording of O(2) consumption. We expect the O(2) partial pressure gradient amounting to 3.3 mmHg for breathing room air at rest, a third of that commonly given. The simplicity of our method allows its application to children or even artificially ventilated patients. Therefore, it will enable a new insight into pulmonary O(2) equilibration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany. h.heller@uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: K-D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Schuster
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D010313:Partial Pressure; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange
chemical_list: D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010100:Oxygen