During aerobic metabolism cells take in oxygen and glucose and expel carbon dioxide and water while maintaining a neutral electrolytic cell charge.
The perfusionist cannot always rely on the usual indicators like blood pressure and hemoglobin oxygen saturations for assurance that tissue perfusion is adequate because these variables can be easily manipulated into normal ranges by the perfusionist. This is what the perfusionist really needs to know; is the tissue perfusion suboptimal?
The key in detecting an anoxic lethal corner lies in understanding what happens in anoxic cells at the capillary level. The normal cell takes in oxygen and glucose, undergoes aerobic metabolism, and excretes water and carbon dioxide. Neither the oxygen nor the glucose entering into the cell nor the carbon dioxide and water leaving the cell are ionic compounds. The routine entry and exit of these molecules do not affect the neutral ionic charge of the cell.
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.