Respiratory disorders · Physiology

The primary cause of hypoxemia in pulmonary embolism is:

  1. Alveolar hypoventilation throughout the lungs
  2. Diffusion limitation across the membrane
  3. Ventilation-perfusion mismatch
  4. Reduced circulating hemoglobin
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Correct answer: Ventilation-perfusion mismatch

Pulmonary embolism causes areas of ventilation without perfusion. This leads to ventilation-perfusion mismatch.

Difficulty: Medium Question 11 of 20

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