Remember the people swimming-ferry analogy?
As you have recalled, hypoxemia would be as though there are very little people swimming in the river. So what can cause less people to swim in the river?
Cause number 1 :
Less people arrive at the river bank. (ventilation defects)
When less people arrive at the river bank, obviously there will be less people swimming in the river. In the same way, if less there is less oxygen delivered to the lung (maybe because the lung is collapsed like in Respiratory Distress Syndrome), there will be less oxygen being able to get into the blood from the alveoli.Up next : Cause number 2!
