SEE PROFILE

Background: After gastric aspiration events, patients are at risk of pulmonary dysfunction and the development of severe acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which may contribute to the development of an inflamma-tory reaction. The authors ’ aim in the current study was to investigate the role of the spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow in the pathogenesis of pulmonary dysfunction during the early stages after acid aspiration. Methods: The authors analyzed the pulmonary distribution of radiolabeled microspheres in normal (n = 6) and injured (n = 12) anesthetized rat lungs using positron emission tomog-raphy, computed tomography, and histological examination. Results: Injured regions demonstrate increased pulmonary blood flow in association with reduced arterial pressure an