Interventions during donor care before lung transplantation.

Improvement in the ratio of PaO2 to the fraction of inspired oxygen and treatment of pulmonary infections in donors have been cited as important goals for improving lungs before implantation and restoring marginal lungs to the donor pool. Likewise, improving donor PaO2 is often critical for other organs during donor care. The common physiological mechanisms responsible for hypoxemia are ventilation/perfusion mismatching, abnormal oxygen diffusion, and hypoventilation. These mechanisms are discussed and treatment options are considered.