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In respiratory physiology, the ventilation/perfusion ratio (V/Q ratio) is a ratio used to assess the efficiency and adequacy of the matching of two variables:
The V/Q ratio can therefore be defined as the ratio of the amount of air reaching the alveoli per minute to the amount of blood reaching the alveoli per minute—a ratio of volumetric flow rates. These two variables, V and Q, constitute the main determinants of the blood oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration.
The V/Q ratio can be measured with a ventilation/perfusion scan.
A V/Q mismatch can cause Type 1 respiratory failure.