[Comparative study of venous contamination with low FiO2 and with pure oxygen in disease-induced pulmonary edema]

A comparative study of the venous contamination (Qs/Qt = (Cc'O2 - CaO2) / (Cc'O2 - C-vO2) under FIO2 = 0.45 - 0.6 and under FIO2 = 1, was realised in 9 patients with lesions of pulmonary oedema. Increasing the FIO2 lead to an increase in the venous contamination three times (average increase was 36 p. 100 of the initial value), to no change two times and a decrease four times (average decrease of 34 p. 100). The values of the venous contamination under average FIO2 are statistically lower in the group where it rises on increasing the FIO2 than in that in which it falls or remains unchanged (p is less than 0.005).