Pressure Wave Transmission in the Human Pulmonary Circulation

Abstract

In patients without pulmonary hypertension, studied at thoracotomy, pressure oscillations were transmitted with less loss from pulmonary artery to occluded lobar pulmonary vein than from pulmonary vein to occluded lobar pulmonary artery. Theory suggests that the asymmetry is mainly due to inequality of pulmonary arterial and venous compliance. The theory provides a basis for analysing the effects of pulmonary arterial and venous compliance on arterial and “wedge” pressure oscillations.