Red Blood Cell Dysfunction in Critical Illness
This article reviews red blood cell (RBC) physiology and dysfunction relevant to disordered O2 delivery in the critically ill. Flow is the focus of O2 delivery regulation: O2 content is relatively fixed, whereas flow fluctuates greatly. Thus, blood flow volume and distribution vary to maintain coupling between O2 delivery and demand. This article reviews conventional RBC physiology influencing O2 delivery and introduces a paradigm for O2 delivery homeostasis based on coordinated gas transport and vascular signaling by RBCs.
Source: Critical Care Clinics - Category: Intensive Care Authors: Stephen Rogers, Allan Doctor Source Type: research
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