12/04/2025
Oxygen and blood perform a “dance” in the lungs—when one partner doesn’t show up, oxygenation breaks down.
🫁 Ventilation (V) – air reaching the alveoli
❤️ Perfusion (Q) – blood reaching the alveolar capillaries
When they’re out of balance, we see:
🔻 Low V/Q → pneumonia, airway obstruction, asthma, COPD
🔺 High V/Q → pulmonary embolism
Understanding which side of the equation is failing helps guide the right treatment, and the right outcome.