by angus beef » Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:36 pm
So this is a bit of semantics, but "intravenous oxygen" is probably not what Zach means. If any significant amount of oxygen or gas similar to air is injected into a vein, the result is an almost-instantaneous air embolism to the lung - since the venous circulation passes through the right heart and into the capillaries of the lung, where it will become lodged and prevent continued circulation, and therefore oxygenation of the rest of the body. In other words - catastrophic and possibly fatal. What Zach means is oxygenation of the arteries without oxygenation of the lungs. As previous posters pointed out, ECMO is essentially taking venous de-oxygenated blood and bypassing the heart/lung into an "oxygenating" machine, and then back into the arterial circulation. I'm not sure of any way to describe this with finesse suitable for a comic strip, though.
Keep up the good work, Zach!
- M.D.
So this is a bit of semantics, but "intravenous oxygen" is probably not what Zach means. If any significant amount of oxygen or gas similar to air is injected into a vein, the result is an almost-instantaneous air embolism to the lung - since the venous circulation passes through the right heart and into the capillaries of the lung, where it will become lodged and prevent continued circulation, and therefore oxygenation of the rest of the body. In other words - catastrophic and possibly fatal. What Zach means is oxygenation of the arteries without oxygenation of the lungs. As previous posters pointed out, ECMO is essentially taking venous de-oxygenated blood and bypassing the heart/lung into an "oxygenating" machine, and then back into the arterial circulation. I'm not sure of any way to describe this with finesse suitable for a comic strip, though.
Keep up the good work, Zach! :D
- M.D.