study of regional lung function in normal Egyptians during normal breathing using xenon 133

A technique is described to assess regional pulmonary blood flow and ventilation during normal breathing at rest, using Xenon[133] and 8 scintillation detectors. Twenty normal Egyptians were subjected to the study in erect posture. Their data show a normal pattern of increasing ventilation per unit lung volume from upper to lower zones. The right lung depicts almost better perfusion and less ventilation than the left, essentially in the lower zones. Regional V/Q ratio decreases progressively in both lungs from upper to lower zones. Correlative study was also included with arterial blood gases, spirometry and flow rates to rule out a disease error