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Source of Hypoxemia in PE
- In acute pulmonary embolism (PE), the area of the lung with the clot is not the primary source of hypoxemia.
- The hypoxemia originates from areas unaffected by the clot.
V/Q Mismatch in PE
- A clot in a blood vessel feeding an alveolus creates a high V/Q ratio (ventilation/perfusion).
- This is the opposite of a shunt, where there's no ventilation but normal perfusion (V/Q of zero).
Dead Space and Hypercapnia
- Areas with high V/Q ratios in PE act as dead space ventilation.
- This can initially lead to hypercapnia in these areas, as seen in animal studies.