Teaching an intuitive derivation of the clinical alveolar equations: mass balance as a fundamental physiological principle

摘要

Every student of pulmonary physiology comes across two essential equations of ventilation and gas exchange, the alveolar ventilation equation (“the CO2 equation”) and the alveolar gas equation (“the O2 equation”). These equations are particularly relevant for health professions students, given both their physiological significance and tremendous utility in clinical practice.