Hyperoxia is sometimes used for humans in major, non-cardiac surgery and has shown to be safe during many hours under anesthesia with no adverse side effects (Habler et al. 2002).
Hyperoxia during surgery reduces the need for allogenic blood transfusion (Kemming et al. 2003). Hyperoxia preserves myocardial oxygenation during low hematocrit and reverses anemic hypoxic ECG changes (human experience). It also increases sub-endocardial oxygen delivery by 24% (animal study) (Kemming et al. 2004). Hyperoxia reverses non-cardiac tissue hypoxia at low hematocrit, increasing the tissue pO2 from 10 to 18 mmHg (animal study) (Meier et al. 2004). Hyperoxia reduces the risk of wound infection. Supplemental O2 (80% vs 30%) reduces wound infections by 39% (human experience) (Brasel et al. 2005), although this aspect is highly controversial.
Perfusion Theory is an educational platform for the Oxygen Pressure Field Theory (OPFT). August Krogh’s theoretical concept of the oxygen pressure field is explained and then applied to clinical applications in perfusion practice.