Ventilation‐perfusion relationships in children

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Abstract
Summary. Ventilation‐perfusion relationships (V̇A/Q̇) were studied in nine lung‐healthy children, 7–15 years old, in whom a diagnostic heart catheterization was performed. V̇A/Q̇ was assessed by a multiple inert‐gas elimination technique. In subjects above 10 years of age, single, narrow modes of ventilation and perfusion were seen centred upon a V̇A/Q̇ ratio of one. In three of the four youngest children, 10 years old or less, additional ‘high’V̇A/Q̇ regions were observed. Neither shunt, nor ‘low’V̇A/Q̇ regions were seen in any child. Arterial Po2 was above 12 kPa in all except one and no age dependence was observed.