Diaphragmatic energetics and blood flow during pulmonary edema and hypotension

We studied the role of O2 supply and demand factors for producing diaphragmatic failure in a canine model of cardiogenic shock with pulmonary edema. We produced pulmonary edema with oleic acid and then hypotension with cardiac tamponade and followed the animals until respiratory failure began, which was defined by a 50% fall in frequency of breathing and diaphragmatic pressure-time index (PTI; cmH2O.s-1.min-1) with no decrease in the diaphragmatic electromyogram. Regional blood flows were measured with radiolabeled microspheres. Diaphragmatic O2 consumption (VO2 di) (ml.min-1.100 g-1) was determined from the diaphragmatic blood flow (Qdi) and the arterial and phrenic venous O2 contents. With oleic acid-induced pulmonary edema, PTI Qdi, and VO2 di increased from control of 101.7 +/- 31.7, 17 +/- 1.8, and 0.81 +/- 0.11, respectively, to 187.2 +/- 27.6, 42.2 +/- 7.2, and 3.32 +/- 0.35 (P less than 0.05). With tamponade, PTI did not change (186.7 +/- 60.0), whereas VO2 di increased further to 3.98 +/- 0.98 (P less than 0.05) due to increased O2 extraction and no significant change in Qdi (32.8 +/- 4.0). As fatigue developed, VO2 di decreased to 2.30 +/- 0.23 due to the combined effects of small declines in Qdi and the arterial O2 content but remained higher than control even though the energy demands returned to control values. In conclusion, when cardiogenic shock is added to pulmonary edema VO2 di and energy output do not increase further and eventually fall.