Changes in Cerebral Regional Blood Flow and Tissue Oxygen Tension During Hemorrhagic Shock and Post-Cerebral Circulatory Arrest

Tissue PO2 may be defined as an indicator of the changes in regional blood flow and tissue metabolic rate for oxygen. In metabolically stable tissue, tissue PO2 (PtO2) is primarily determined by the local tissue blood flow. It is well recognized that in the brain, the blood flow is maintained by an autoregulatory mechanism, even during hypotension. With the progression of shock, this mechanism may deteriorate.