ventilation-perfusion scanning (also called v/q scanning) is a two-part test that measures breathing (ventilation) and blood-flow (perfusion) in all parts of the lungs.
ventilation-perfusion scanning produces a series of scans, which can help tell the doctor about the evenness of airflow and blood-flow to the lungs.
ventilation-perfusion scanning is most often used to detect if there are blood clots in the lungs. long-term blood clots in the lungs can be a cause of pulmonary hypertension (ph).
in ventilation-perfusion scanning you are given a very small amount of a radioactive substance. this allows the lungs to be scanned.
for the ventilation part of the test, you inhale a radioactive gas mixture. for the perfusion part of the test, the radioactive substance is injected into a vein. after the radioactive substance is inhaled or injected, the lungs are scanned.
