Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 79, Issue 6 1951-1957, Copyright © 1995 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Effect of anemia on intrapulmonary shunt during atelectasis in rabbits

S. Deem, M. J. Bishop and M. K. Alberts
Department of Anesthesiology, Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Washington 98195-6540, USA.

To elucidate the effects of anemia on intrapulmonary shunt, we studied a model of left lung atelectasis in anesthetized rabbits. In 10 rabbits, isovolemic anemia was produced by sequential hemodilution. Seven control rabbits were followed over time, without hemodilution. Intrapulmonary shunt (Qs/QT) was measured by using blood gas analysis and by quantitation of the percentage of blood flow to the collapsed left lung (QLl/QT) using fluorescent microspheres. In control rabbits, Qs/QT and QLl/QT decreased over time, whereas arterial PO2 increased. In hemodiluted rabbits, there was a trend toward increased Qs/QT and QLl/QT. There were significant differences in the behavior of Qs/QT, QLl/QT, and arterial PO2 between control and hemodiluted rabbits. Hemodynamic parameters, including cardiac output and pulmonary artery pressure, were not different between groups. In a third group of rabbits with pharmacologically induced acidosis but no hemodilution, Qs/QT and QLl/QT decreased over time, and arterial PO2 increased. We conclude that acute isovolemic anemia has a deleterious effect on pulmonary gas exchange, possibly through attenuation of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction.

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