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Pulmonary Vascular Function

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Textbook of Pulmonary Vascular Disease

Abstract

The pulmonary circulation is a low-pressure and high-flow circuit. The low pressure prevents fluid moving out of the pulmonary vessels into the interstitial space, and allows the right ventricle to operate at a low energy cost. The flow is matched to ventilation for pulmonary gas exchange. As a low-pressure system, the pulmonary circulation is very sensitive to mechanical influences, and the thin-walled right ventricle is poorly prepared for rapidly increased loading conditions. The pulmonary circulation is functionally coupled to the right ventricle. Pulmonary pressure–flow relationships are determined by a dynamic interaction between ventricular pump function and mechanical properties of the pulmonary arterial tree. In this respect, it is always important to remember that the pulsatility of the pulmonary circulation is greater than that in the systemic bed. The ratio of pulse pressure over mean pressure in the pulmonary artery is about unity, whereas in the aorta, pulse pressure is about 40% of mean pressure, implying that pulsatile energy to be generated.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathophysiology, Free University of Brussels, Campus Erasme CP 604, 808, route de Lennik, Bldg 4. Rm Es.4.108, 1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Robert Naeije

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  1. Robert Naeije
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  2. Nico Westerhof
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Correspondence to Robert Naeije .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Medicine, COMRB Rm. 3131 (MC 719), University of Illinois at Chicago, 909 South Wolcott Avenue, Chicago, 60612, Illinois, USA

    Jason X. -J. Yuan

  2. 310 Admin.Office Building (MC 672), University of Illinois at Chicago, 1737 W. Polk Street, Suite 310, Chicago, 60612, Illinois, USA

    Joe G.N. Garcia

  3. Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, 92093-0623, California, USA

    John B. West

  4. Dept. Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, 02114, Massachusetts, USA

    Charles A. Hales

  5. Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago, 60637, Illinois, USA

    Stuart Rich

  6. Department of Medicine, University of Chicago School of Medicine, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago, 60637, Illinois, USA

    Stephen L. Archer

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Naeije, R., Westerhof, N. (2011). Pulmonary Vascular Function. In: Yuan, JJ., Garcia, J., West, J., Hales, C., Rich, S., Archer, S. (eds) Textbook of Pulmonary Vascular Disease. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-87429-6_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-87429-6_4

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