Critical care medicine
-
Critical care medicine · Dec 1993
Central contribution to hypoventilation during severe inspiratory resistive loads.
Recent observations suggest that central hypoventilation with slowing of respiratory frequency contributes to hypoventilation during severe inspiratory resistive loads. We carried out a study to further characterize this bradypneic response. ⋯ Centrally mediated bradypnea contributed to hypoventilation in respiratory failure associated with inspiratory loading. Bradypnea preceded evidence of muscle fatigue. This change in respiratory cycle timing occurred under anesthesia, and thus, did not depend on conscious perception of dyspnea. Bradypnea does not depend on either hypercapnia or hypoxia.