Ventilation/perfusion ratio
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In respiratory physiology, the ventilation/perfusion ratio (or V/Q ratio) is a measurement used to the efficiency and adequacy of the matching of two variables:[1]
- "V" - ventilation - the air which reaches the lungs
- "Q" - perfusion - the blood which reaches the lungs
A normal value is approximately 0.8.[1]
Because the lung is centered vertically around the heart, part of the lung is superior to the heart, and part is inferior. This has a major impact on the V/Q ratio:[1]
- apex of lung - higher
- base of lung - lower
The V/Q ratio can be measured with a ventilation/perfusion scan.
An area with no ventilation (and thus a V/Q of zero) is termed a shunt.[1] An area with no perfusion (and thus a V/Q of infinitiy) is termed "dead space"
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