Pulmonary arterial wedge pressures: blood gas tensions and pH in the resting horse

Blood pressure recordings were made from right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary trunk, and pulmonary arterial "wedge" positions in the standing, resting, adult horse. Similarly, comparisons were made of blood samples collected from these vascular positions, as well as from jugular vein and carotid artery. A consistently lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide and a greater partial pressure of oxygen and pH were found in blood samples from pulmonary arterial wedge than from carotid artery. A technique for safe and rapid collection of pulmonary trunk and pulmonary arterial wedge blood gases, pH, and pressure data, using a balloon-tipped flow-directed catheter, is described in the nonsedated, nontranquilized, resting, adult horse.