Shunt and ventilation-perfusion distribution during partial liquid ventilation in healthy piglets

tala. Shunt and ventilation-perfusion distribution during partial liquid ventilation in healthy piglets. J. Appl. Physiol. 82(3): 933–942, 1997.—Replacing gas in the lungwith perfluo-rocarbon fluids (PFC) and periodically ventilating with a gas [partial liquid ventilation (PLV)] has been shown to improve oxygenation in models of respiratory distress syndrome. We hypothesized that the addition of PFC to healthy lungs would result in shunt, diffusion impairment, and increased ventila-tion-perfusion (V̇A/Q̇) heterogeneity. Previously, Mates et al. showed that O2 shunt and arterial-alveolar CO2 difference increased linearly with dose in piglets given graded intratra-cheal doses of PFC (10, 20, and 30 ml/kg followed by mechani