Pulmonary vascular resistance-pulmonary artery compliance relationship and time constant in pulmonary hypertension due to valvular heart disease

Pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary artery compliance are inversely related and remain in a fixed relationship during a wide variety of experimental conditions. However, an increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure may alter the relationship between resistance and compliance in the pulmonary circulation.1-3 The time constant of the pulmonary circulation (determined by the product of pulmonary vascular resistance and arterial compliance) has been proposed as a more comprehensive index of right ventricle afterload than either variable alone.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research