British journal of anaesthesia
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Cardioventilatory coupling is the triggering of inspiratory onset by preceding cardiac activity. We have observed two forms of coupling with a bimodal ('quantal') variation of respiratory period. ⋯ Cross correlation analysis suggested that when pattern III was present, TI was dependent upon the preceding TE, which differs markedly from traditional views on the interaction between inspiratory and expiratory duration. VT was linearly related to TI, and so could also be determined by the preceding TE during this type of coupling.