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The reproducibility of the response of the human newborn to CO2 measured by rebreathing and steady‐state methods.
Author(s) -
Cohen G,
HendersonSmart D J
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.1994.sp020137
Subject(s) - reproducibility , steady state (chemistry) , coefficient of variation , ventilation (architecture) , anesthesia , chemistry , medicine , thermodynamics , physics , chromatography
The ventilatory response (VR) of the full‐term newborn to CO2 was studied during quiet sleep using rebreathing and steady‐state methods. Rebreathing responses were obtained under normoxic (fractional inspired oxygen concentration, Fi,O2 = 0.21) and hyperoxic (Fi,O2 = 0.4) conditions. Ten infants were tested three to five times using each of the two rebreathing protocols and the results averaged. Overall, there was no significant difference between either the mean variability (coefficient of variation) or slope of the VR measured under normoxic and hyperoxic conditions. Four infants were studied using a steady‐state technique. There was marked test‐to‐test variability in VRs measured by this method. The results appear to indicate that the variability of the VR of the newborn to CO2 is not a result of chemoreflex changes in ventilation elicited in response to fluctuations in arterial PO2.