Ventilation/Perfusion Matching and its Effect on Volatile Pharmacokinetics

The mismatching of alveolar ventilation and perfusion (VA/Q) is the major determinant of impaired gas exchange. The gold standard for analyzing VA/Q distribution is the multiple inert gas elimination technique (MIGET), conventionally based on gas chromatography (GC), and, although simple in principle, a technically demanding procedure limiting its use. A new technique based on micropore membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MMIMS) combined MIGET with mass spectrometry, simplifying the sample handling process, and potentially providing VA/Q distributions for a general clinical approach. The kinetics of volatile anesthetics are well known in patients with healthy lungs. The uptake and distribution of inhaled anesthetics have usually been modeled by physiologic models. However, these models have limitations, and they do not consider ventilation/perfusion matching. Respiratory diseases account for a large part of morbidity and mortality and are associated with pulmonary VA/Q mismatch that may affect uptake and elimination of volatile anesthetics. The objectives of the studies were firstly to investigate assessment of VA/Q mismatch by MMIMS and secondly to investigate the effects of asthma-like VA/Q mismatch on the kinetics of volatile anesthetics in an experimental porcine model. Anesthetized and mechanically ventilated piglets were studied. In study I, a direct comparison of MIGET by MMIMS with the conventional MIGET by GC in three animal models that covered a wide range of VA/Q distributions was preformed. The two methods agreed well, and parameters derived from both methods showed good agreement with externally measured references. In studies II–IV, a stable method of inducing and maintaining asthma-like VA/Q mismatch with methacholine (MCh) administration was established, and the effect of VA/Q mismatch on the pharmacokinetics of desflurane and isoflurane was investigated. The present model of bronchoconstriction demonstrates a delay in volatile anesthetic uptake and elimination, related to the heterogeneity of MCh-inhalation induced ventilation. The difference in solubility of volatile anesthetics has a significant influence on their uptake and elimination under VA/Q mismatch. The higher blood soluble isoflurane is affected to a lesser degree than the fairly insoluble desflurane