Proposed mechanism of pulmonary gas trapping (PGT) following intravenous perfluorocarbon emulsion administration.

Purpose: To investigate various hypotheses and identify the most likely mechanism preventing the complete collapse of test animal lungs at sacrifice subsequent to intravenous injection of certain perfluorocarbon emulsions.

Protocol: Literature data were reviewed, experimental data were extracted from completed studies and new data were generated in an attempt to delineate reasons why, in certain animals, lungs fail to collapse normally at necropsy if previously injected with certain perfluorocarbon emulsions. The proposed hypothesis involved gas osmosis through endogenous pulmonary surfactant-liquid bridges (micro-bubbles).