Regional pulmonary blood flow was measured by external counting of intravenously injected 133Xe during 20 min of breathing 14.2% oxygen and during 20 min of recovery from hypoxia. 16 normal human volunteers were studied, nine sitting and seven supine. During hypoxia there was a slight but significant increase in relative perfusion of the upper portions of the lungs in both the sitting and supine subjects. During recovery from hypoxia, blood flow distribution differed significantly from the control. The erect subjects showed increased relative perfusion of the lung bases and the supine subjects showed increased relative perfusion of the upper zones.
Arthur Dawson