Last update:
15-Jul-2011

Administration of oxygen (O₂) by ventilation may either fail to correct arterial hypoxemia or be limited by its potential for pulmonary toxicity at high inspired O₂ concentrations. High levels of hyperoxemia may have utility in the treatment of regional tissue ischemia, but current methods for its implementation are impractical. Researchers have recently developed a bubbleless method for introducing O₂ into the bloodstream, namely aqueous oxygen (AO). The concentration of O₂ in AO is 1 to 3 mL O₂/g, which is an order of magnitude greater than the O₂ carrying capacity of blood. Rapid dilution of the AO effluent with the host liquid results in efficient oxygenation of hypoxemic liquids. The use of AO has been studied in the reperfusion of ischemic regions after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction, mostly in animal models but also in four clinical trials, while its use for the relief of hypoxemic pulmonary hypertension is also being investigated. The primary experimental and clinical data related to AO use in myocardial reperfusion after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction are contradictory. As for its use in pulmonary hypertension, the data from the first experimental model justify further research in more severe and chronic situations.

Key words: Acute myocardial infarction, Aqueous oxygen, Pulmonary hypertension.