Gas Transfer Across the Skin in Man

Abstract

Any inert component of the inspired gas reaches the skin by the cutaneous perfusion. When part of the body is enclosed in an oxygen-filled chamber, a portion of the inert gas is transported out of the tissues into the oxygen atmosphere. The rates of helium, argon, and nitrogen transport were determined in the forearm and hand of a normal subject at ambient temperatures ranging from 18 to 43 C, analysis being performed by gas chromatography. At any temperature, the ratio Va/Vhe was found to be equal to (αa·Pa/(See PDF)a)/ (αHe·Phe/(See PDF) He) where V is the rate of gas transport, agr the solubility of the gas in blood, P the pressure of the gas in the blood, and mol wt the molecular weight of the gas. This indicates that the gas transport is limited by diffusion through the skin barrier and is affected only indirectly by changes in cutaneous blood flow in individual capillaries. Gas transport is at a minimal value at temperatures below 28 C, increasing in a linear fashion with increasing temperature above 28 C. This increase in transport shows that the increase in cutaneous perfusion at elevated ambient temperatures is accompanied by the opening of additional capillaries, the resulting increase in diffusing capacity being responsible for the increase in gas transport. Submitted on August 6, 1962