Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 63, Issue 6 2340-2342, Copyright © 1987 by American Physiological Society
Venous occlusion measurement of pulmonary capillary pressure: effects of embolization
R. J. Roselli and R. E. Parker
Pulmonary Circulation Center, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232.
The effects of pulmonary arterial embolization on calculated pulmonary
capillary pressure as determined by the venous occlusion technique are
examined using a simple pressure-flow model for the lung. It is predicted
that pulmonary, arterial embolization can induce significant
underestimation of pulmonary capillary pressure in flowing vessels. This
underestimation is related to the percent of vessels embolized and the
caliber of pulmonary arteries that are embolized (i.e., the size of the
emboli). Experimental verification of these theoretical findings is
necessary before the conclusions can be extended to the interpretation of
venous occlusion experiments in the lung.
