Alveolar Shunt (Medical Definition) | Quick Explainer Video

What is an Alveolar Shunt? This video covers the medical definition and provides a brief overview of this topic.
💥Alveolar Ventilation [Full Guide] ➜ ➜ ➜ https://bit.ly/2VipbBy

➡️ Alveoli Definition
Alveoli are the tiny air sacs that are arranged in clusters within the lungs where the gas exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules takes place. During a breathing cycle, we take in oxygen during inhalation while removing carbon dioxide during exhalation. This process is known as alveolar ventilation. And, for it to function properly, the amount of ventilation must match the amount of perfusion in the alveoli of the lungs. This means that there should be a balance in the Ventilation/Perfusion Ratio (V/Q Ratio).

🟦 Ventilation (V)
Ventilation refers to the amount of air that enters and leaves the alveoli. For the body to be able to obtain oxygen, there first must be sufficient amounts of air that reaches the alveolar region of the lungs.

🟦 Perfusion (Q)
Perfusion refers to the amount of blood that flows to the alveolar capillaries. For the body to be able to obtain oxygen, there also must be sufficient amounts of blood passing through the lungs to pick up oxygen molecules so that it can be transported to all of the organs and tissues of the body. When a V/Q imbalance is present, it means that the amount of ventilation in the alveoli does not match the amount of perfusion.

➡️ What is a Shunt?
If a patient has normal perfusion but a lack of ventilation, this is known as a shunt. It means that there is a decreased amount of air that is reaching the alveoli while there is normal blood flow or perfusion to that region. For example, this could occur in a patient with atelectasis because perfusion would be normal, but there would be decreased ventilation to those collapsed alveoli. This would result in the circulation of arterial blood that was unable to pick up oxygen molecules which explains why shunting is one of the primary causes of hypoxemia.

➡️ Recap:
An area with perfusion but no ventilation is referred to as a shunt. Since it occurs within the alveoli, this is where an alveolar shunt gets its name. Again, for this video, we just wanted to provide you with a brief overview of this topic. We'll be breaking it down into much more detail in a separate video.

💥Alveolar Ventilation [Full Guide] ➜ ➜ ➜ https://bit.ly/2VipbBy

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🚑MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with a physician with any questions that you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you watch in this video. We strive for 100% accuracy, but errors may occur, and medications, protocols, and treatment methods may change over time.

💡AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER
This description contains affiliate links. If you decide to purchase a product through one of them, we receive a small commission at no cost to you.

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⏰TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - Alveoli Definition
0:55 - Ventilation (V)
1:08 - Perfusion (Q)
1:08 - What is a Shunt?
2:15 - Recap

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▪ Graphics: Canva.com, Freevector.com, Vecteezy.com, and Pngtree.com

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